The Beautiful People
by NeuroNerd11
Summary: Hermione Snape wants to start a family. Severus Snape can't possibly understand why she would want that with him. Hermione finds her husband's doppelgänger (Marilyn Manson) and tries to use this information to convince him that his looks wouldn't be atrocious to pass on to future generations.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything in Rowling's lovely universe. If I did, the story would have ended with our favorite guy getting a happy ending. :)

Author's Note: If you disagree with my opinion that Marilyn Manson and Severus Snape look similar, I applaud your ability to think for yourself but you won't change my opinion so initiating an argument with me over it will not be a fruitful endeavor. Also, if you wish to share Snanger/Sevmione ship hatred, why are you even here? Insults or disparaging comments of this nature will be deleted/ignored. To everyone else, I hope you enjoy this little story that I could not get out of my head! :) Shout out to my beta Jeannie, who helped me improve this story in many ways.

* * *

"You're quite handsome, you know?" said Hermione Snape to her husband, looking up at him, as he entered her home office. It was a simple room with a pine, L-shaped desk, with one portion of the L against the wall while the other jutted out into the room. The portion against the wall held her computer while the other held parchment and ink pens. Quills were beautiful but pens had them beat in every department except for aesthetics. The floors were hardwood and the desk stood upon a deep red rug. The walls were white and held Hermione's law school degree as well as a few pictures of her and her husband.

"I am no such thing, I firmly believe you are afflicted with some curse on your vision or perhaps you need glasses. But it works in my favor." answered Severus Snape. He was dressed in his usual attire, all black robes and a frock coat with dragon skin boats. He leant down and kissed his wife on the cheek. She smiled up at him.

"One of these days I'll find a way to convince you that you're attractive." Hermione said, turning back to her work at the computer. She was dressed much more casually in dark jeans and a pink long sleeve t-shirt.

"I'll believe it when I see, but probably not even then. I'm off to work, I take it you're working from home today?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm supposed to help Ginny pick out decor for their nursery. I figured it would be easier this way rather than attempt going in to the office." Hermione said. "Although why she thinks I will be much use at picking colors or whatever else goes into it, is beyond me."

"Perhaps she simply wants moral support or a blunt opinion on the matter?" answered Severus cocking an eyebrow as he began to speak. "Either way, I don't envy you. I'll see you tonight, love." He leant in for a goodbye kiss, which she delivered.

"Thanks, I'm sure I'll manage. Love you." She said.

Severus strolled from her office to their living room where he flooed to work. Hermione got up and peeked to ensure he had actually left. She rushed back to her computer and relocated the screen she had previously been looking at before Severus interrupted her. She had some research to do before Ginny showed up.

* * *

"I don't suppose you could simply hex him into agreeing with you?" asked Ginny. She was wearing blue maternity robes and was pushing a shopping cart through the fabric aisle of a wizarding baby store. She paused to examine a pattern of flying broomsticks and tiny golden snitches, they moved as she watched.

"Unfortunately, no. Although I have been tempted. He seems convinced he would be a terrible father and also doesn't 'want to burden another with his looks.' I don't know how to convince him that neither of those things are true. I've been researching the psychology behind low self esteem but the only answer I could come up with was behavior modification. I've been trying it but the research indicates that it can take months to years. I don't want to wait that long." answered Hermione, a touch exasperated. She picked up fabric patterned in blinking and swooping owls.

Ginny glanced at the owl fabric and picked up another pattern with unicorns prancing around and shaking their heads on a pale yellow background. "Well, most men think they won't be good fathers. Harry is terrified and said he will ruin our baby. I told him that was a load of rubbish and if I heard him saying it again I would hex him. He certainly never said it again but I bet he still thinks it. What do you think of this one?" She asked holding up the unicorn fabric.

"Honestly, they are all adorable but those unicorns are quite lovely. We can probably find some matching paint or charm some to match. You could do a forest theme with a few other magical creatures. I think I saw some dragon fabric…" Hermione said as she perused the shelf. "Here!" She pulled a roll of fabric which had dragons flying about and blowing fire on a blue background.

"Oh that's wicked! Yes I love the idea of a magical forest, and Luna has offered to paint whatever we like. Now back to your husband problem, I think you need to find a celebrity or someone who looks similar to him that people find really attractive." said Ginny as she started towards the paint section of the shop. Hermione followed her over.

"I'm not so sure that will work, Ginny. He won't believe me if I just tell him he looks like someone lots of people think is attractive." Hermione stated, she began looking for greens, browns, and blues for the forest colors.

"Then physically show him, you will probably have the best luck with some sort of band. He kind of looks like he could be in a muggle rock band or something. Maybe take him to a concert to see women lose their shit over someone that looks like him." Ginny said placing several small paint cans of various colors. "I think that will be enough paint, if Luna likes one particular shade she can just charm the can to refill."

"That's not a terrible idea, I could potentially make it our anniversary date. Although it will have to be a surprise, he wouldn't agree to it otherwise. It might work like exposure therapy for phobias, one big exposure to shock the system." said Hermione. They both walked over to the checkout counter. Ginny began to lift her purchases to the counter and Hermione intervened to do it for her. "You should let me do that, otherwise I feel like my presence is pointless."

"Nonsense, you helped me pick a theme for the nursery." argued Ginny. "Besides, I need to get in as much time hanging out with you as I can before the baby comes. I'll probably disappear under a mound of diapers for a year and a half."

Hermione couldn't argue with the diapers bit. "Well I'll still come see you, I can't wait to hang out with you and the baby. It will just be a little different, we will have a tiny audience to our chats."

"Thanks Hermione, I'm going to hold you to that!" exclaimed Ginny. "Let's go to a muggle baby shop, I want to get some basic clothing items and charm them to be stain resistant. It's much cheaper than buying them precharmed."

Ginny wrote her Gringotts account number on the receipt and handed it back to the clerk behind the counter. The clerk thanked them while Ginny shrunk down her purchases and slide them into her purse.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Hermione flipped through one of the celebrity magazines she found in the muggle baby shop she visited with Ginny. Her friend had insisted she pick up a few to find her Severus look alike. She was coming up empty handed so far, all these magazines contained was popular artists who looked flawless or absolutely horrid. Hermione tossed the magazine in her home office rubbish bin with the others.

She turned to her computer and turned it on. Once it powered on she began typing various search terms in to find a male celebrity that met her needs. After an hour of searching, Hermione began getting frustrated and started talking to herself as she looked.

"Now really, I typed in pale skin and dark hair, why on earth would a picture of Denzel Washington come up!"

"Why are there pictures of baby animals in this search?! Unless Severus has become a kitten, none of this is helpful!" exclaimed Hermione. Just then the real Severus stuck his head in her office, peering over his reading glasses. He was still wearing his work clothes, having just gotten home.

"What on earth are you on about in here?" Severus asked. "I could hear you from living room, I thought I heard my name."

Hermione quickly switched screens to a dull report she had been completing for work. "Oh just a bit of legislation regarding mountain trolls that I found particularly vexing. How was your day?" She asked, smiling warmly and hoping he bought it because it was a rather unappealing topic to most.

Severus raised an eyebrow, and pushed his glasses on top of his head to rub his eyes as he spoke. "Please tell me that's not going to be your next project. Pursuing the rights of mountain trolls, that really won't accomplish much. They can barely tell which end of their bodies to shovel food into let alone comprehend Ministry laws." Severus stated.

Hermione laughed, at which Severus couldn't help but smile slightly. "Don't worry, it's a report on the current legislation regarding them. I've been systematically going over all of the legislation regarding non-human magical beings that hasn't been updated in the last century. Mountain troll legislation may be poorly written but I doubt it needs updating." Hermione said as she got up from her desk and walked over to her husband. Severus wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his chest. He kissed the top of her head.

"Well that's a relief, I can rest easy knowing you haven't got a bee in your bonnet over mountain trolls." Severus said. "Now what are you in the mood for this evening? I wouldn't say no to some take away curry from down the street."

Hermione lifted her head and looked up at him with an exasperated smirk. "We've had curry from that place four times in the last week. Surely you have grown tired of it?!"

Severus scoffed. "Well, it's not my fault you are an abysmal cook and I have to eat elsewhere to ensure I don't fall ill. Besides, it's incredibly good and authentic."

Hermione playfully slapped his chest and adopted a look of mock hurt."I try my best to provide meals for my husband and this is the thanks I get! Slandering my hard work and sweat over a hot stove!" Hermione shouted in mock exasperation.

Severus chuckled and picked Hermione up only to set her on her desk. She shrieked slightly in surprise before giggling. He stepped between her legs which she promptly wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer. She smiled at him and he leaned in, pressing his mouth close to her ear. "I would much rather you put your energies towards sweating and working hard over me." He rumbled in her ear before kissing a trail down her neck.

She leaned her head to the side allowing him better access. He stopped at the juncture between her shoulder and her neck to bite her rather hard. She gasped and moaned in quick succession. He sucked hard for a second before releasing her tender skin and moving his lips to hers. His hands slid under her shirt and pulled it over her head.

He returned to their momentarily abandoned kiss and made up for said abandonment by tangling his tongue with hers. Hermione reached up to run her fingers through his hair only to knock his glasses off the top of his head. She pulled away briefly to look for them only to be stopped by Severus's hand on her cheek. He pressed a kiss to her lips and said "Leave them."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest but promptly had it filled by her husband's kisses. She quickly forgot what she was going to say as she resumed her earlier endeavor of tunneling her fingers into his hair. Severus ran his hands over her shoulders then down her back and over her bum. He pulled her closer to his body then his hands journeyed upward again to the clasp of her bra. He made quick work of unclasping and removing it from her body.

Severus broke the kiss and began kissing across her face then down her neck. He continued his trajectory down her chest to her breasts. He ran his tongue over and around her nipple as it hardened in response. Hermione leaned back slightly to grab her wand, she intended to remove his clothes but couldn't focus enough for wandless magic at the moment.

As she wrapped her fingers around it, he wrapped his lips around her hardened nipple and began alternating between sucking and biting gently. Hermione sharply inhaled in response and momentarily forgot why she had reached for her wand. She recovered quickly and silently banished every stitch he had on to their laundry room. She intended to send her clothing the same way when Severus reached up and pulled her wand from her hand, removing his mouth from her body as he did so.

"You know I prefer to undress you myself, witch. I've only been imagining this precise moment all day long" He said while gazing into her eyes. He silently summoned a small canister from the robes she had rid him of previously. "I brought this home from the lab today to try out, if you're up to it." He smirked at her as she pushed her hair from her face.

"I am, although your thinly veiled attempt to appeal to my competitive nature could do with some work." She huffed. Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"Why would I put work into something that seems to function adequately? I believe the muggle expression is 'if it's not broke, don't fix it.'" He said as he relieved her of her jeans and underwear in one motion that included a quick levitation of her person off and back on the desk.

Hermione chuckled. "Such a show off."

Severus smirked slightly as he stepped back, unscrewed the lid from the container and dipped two fingers into a viscous potion inside. He whispered an incantation but nothing seemed to happen. Hermione looked at his hand questioningly, waiting for something to happen.

She looked up at him and said, "I'm sorry love, should it be doing something?"

He looked back at her and moved closer to her naked body. Severus reached his potion-covered hand down to her clitoris as he said "Why don't you tell me?"

Hermione was shocked when she felt vibrations emanating from his fingertips, not strong but there none the less. Her eyes widened slightly as he watched her closely. He whispered another incantation she didn't quite understand and the vibrations intensified while he began to slowly circle her sensitive nub with his vibrating fingers. She took a shuddering breath and then moaned as she closed her eyes.

Severus moved himself closer to her then took himself in his other hand to slip slowly into her. Her eyes shot open at the sensation and she pulled his head in for a searing kiss while he began a slow rhythm in time with his circling motions. He broke the kiss and reached up to her hair with his free _**hand**_. He wrapped a handful of her hair around his fist and pulled firmly but not too painfully. Her head arched backwards and her eyes shot to his midnight orbs. He smirked at her as he cocked an eyebrow.

"I believe I asked you a question, Madam Snape." He growled, slamming into her more forcefully for a few thrusts. "Is the potion... doing something for you?"

Hermione opened her mouth to answer but only managed a moan as he pulled her hair again, a bit more sharply this time. The additional sensation was unexpected but enthusiastically welcomed. He released his grip on her hair only to reach down and sharply smack her bum, which was accompanied by a surprised gasp, quickly followed by a groan.

"My know-it-all certainly is articulate this evening." He leaned in to purr in her ear. She raked her nails up his back, he inhaled sharply.

As a result of the intense combination of sensations she was at the mercy of, Hermione was close to her climax. Severus could feel it in how she clenched around him, he quickened his rhythm and she finally managed to speak, if gasping his name into his hair followed by a series of throaty moans in his ear counted. He removed his hand from her clitoris and placed both hands on her hips. He slammed into her a few times before reaching his own completion with a grunt.

He pressed his forehead to hers with his eyes closed briefly. He whispered the incantation to stop the vibrations of the potion. He then opened his eyes and smiled at her flushed face and tousled hair. "So Madame Snape, you didn't seem to answer my question, which I consider a masterful feat really. Silencing the woman who views answering all questions as her life's work. Did the new potion do anything for you?" He asked.

Hermione opened her eyes and grinned at him. "You know, it might have. But really we should ensure it provides consistent results. I would hate for the customers to be disappointed with a potentially dysfunctional product."

"Such sacrifice, all for the benefit of my customers with nothing in it for you." He replied slyly, looking at her devilishly.

Hermione arranged her face into a more serious expression and said "Well far be it from me to allow shoddy testing to sully your reputation. We should probably determine if it is safe for internal use."

"Before we begin our test replicates, I believe you demonstrated some interest in ordering some takeaway for dinner." Severus said, taking step back and blowing his hair from his eyes.

Hermione chuckled and hopped off of her desk, "You are insufferable, alright call it in. But we really have got to stop ordering out so much."

Severus winked at her. "It's all part of ensuring my reputation, we can't do that on an empty stomach."

* * *

"I'm sorry, what was your complaint with him again?" Ginny asked, pretending to fan herself. Hermione had recounted her evening with Severus to Luna and Ginny while Luna painted the nursery. Ginny was in a light pink maternity dress sitting on a rocking chair in the middle of the room. Hermione was sitting in the floor next to her wearing jeans and a plaid button up shirt, the sleeves were rolled up to her elbows. Most of the floor was covered in tarp to protect it from the paint. It was a beautiful spring day and they had the windows open for the paint fumes. Hermione blushed slightly with a smirk and lightly smacked Ginny's arm. Or at least she tried to, Ginny's upper body was encased in a modified Bubblehead charm to protect her from the paint fumes, so her smack simply bounced off the bubble.

"Ginny! Honestly! The problem isn't with our sex life, that part is just fine, thank you very much!" Hermione exclaimed.

Luna interjected. "I feel like I should thank you, or maybe Professor Snape. That potion sounds amazing, when will it be available for purchase from his apothecary?" Luna pushed a few stray hairs from her face with the back of her hand, a few wisps of her hair had managed to escape her ponytail. She was wearing paint covered overalls while artfully painting a magical forest on the walls. She had started with the trees and surrounding foliage, it was nearly complete.

"I'm not sure, he wants to file the patent first, it's the first potion that vibrates. He wants to market it for intimate use but also wants to modify it slightly for rolling muscles, like those foam rollers at the gym." Hermione begrudgingly answered, folding her arms across her chest. "But that's not the problem, I want children and he seems to think I'm insane wanting them to be with him."

Ginny shrugged and said "How did my suggestion go? I think that might get you halfway there."

"What was the suggestion?" Luna asked over her shoulder, adding some leaves to an elaborate oak tree.

"Ginny thinks I can convince Severus that he is attractive by comparing him to a rockstar." Hermione answered.

"Oh he does kind of look like one doesn't he? How is that working out for you?" Luna asked.

"I spent hours trying to find one but none of the magazines or search terms I tried seemed to find anyone that looks enough like him for it to work." Hermione said, with a sigh.

"Have you tried a doppelgänger website? You can upload a photo and their database finds a celebrity that looks most like your picture." Luna explained. "I had fun with Ron the other night entering pictures of his family. Unfortunately neither of us is very familiar with muggle celebrities so we didn't really know any of them. It looked pretty spot on though."

"Oh that sounds like so much fun! Maybe I can get Harry to do it with me, growing up in the muggle world, he will probably recognize them. You should try it Hermione!" Ginny said, taking a sip of her lemonade. "Luna, this looks amazing!"

Luna had finished the plants and was painting in various magical creatures. She was adding several bowtruckles to her large oak tree. "Thanks Gin." Luna replied shyly.

"I'll give it a try, even though I think the idea is a bit mad. I'll try just about anything to bring him 'round to the idea." Hermione said. "It really is quite beautiful, Luna."

Luna had placed a charm on the plants to rustle and blow with an imaginary, intermittent breeze. Each creature she finished painting came to life with the flick of her wand and began moving through the landscape. It was bewitching.

* * *

Hermione tiptoed in her flannel pajamas down the hall of their home to her office. Severus was sleeping soundly and she didn't want to disturb him. She hadn't been able to get on her computer after coming home from Ginny and Harry's place, now seemed like the best time since she was just lying awake in the bed.

She turned on the computer and waited for it to load. She yawned and stretched in her chair. Something bumped the door to her office and she whirled around only to see their cat come gliding into the room.

"Anakin, you scared the living daylights out of me!" She whispered to their all black cat. He came over and rubbed against her legs. She leaned down and rubbed his head. She smiled down at him as he began to pur.

"I did convince him that you were a good idea, I should be able to convince him to have a child or two with me." She whispered to Anakin and herself. She turned back to the computer that had finished loading her desktop. She opened her pictures folder and began searching for a suitable photo of him. It took several minutes, most pictures included her as her husband generally protested photos of just himself.

However, she found just the picture to use. It was from their first Christmas together, she had caught him admiring a rare potions book she had given him. She had grabbed the camera and called his name, she snapped the photo before he had a chance to change the expression on his face. It was one of her absolute favorite pictures of him.

Picture found, Hermione went online to find the website Luna had described to her. She found many and just picked the first one that didn't look like it would give her computer a virus. She uploaded the photo and clicked 'find'. It took a minute for it to load, when the comparable celebrity loaded she didn't recognize the name but the face was uncannily similar to her husband, particularly the younger pictures she had seen from his early 20s.

She grinned, maybe this mad plan would work after all. Hermione Snape has some research to do on some man named Marilyn Manson.


	2. Chapter 2

Severus looked down at his sleeping wife the following morning. He couldn't suppress the smile that slowly curled his lips. She was up to something, he had heard her get up in the middle of the night to ensconce herself in her office. Merlin only knew what it could be, she would latch on to the most ludicrous fancies at times. He knew it wouldn't be problematic for him, but if she took up some unwinnable cause it might greatly upset her. Although come to think of it, she had never really championed anything that didn't work out in the end. With the exception of that horrid S.P.E.W. The faculty members, other than himself and Minerva, had found S.P.E.W. highly amusing. Minerva had felt terrible for her because she knew it wouldn't change but she also knew it wasn't right. Severus had felt indifferent at the time, what did he care if the little know-it-all pursued some deadend cause?! It reduced her, Potter, and Weasley's likelihood of getting into real trouble.

Severus pulled himself from his reflections. He needed to get ready for his day, he was hoping for some exciting news from his weekly Saturday appointment. He carefully climbed from the bed, attempting to keep the jostling to a minimum. He glanced back at the still snoozing woman in the bed, making sure she hadn't stirred. They had a king size bed, which was really quite essential given his wife's propensity to sprawl across as much space as possible when she slept. They had two large quilts they alternated on the bed, one in deep red and the other in dark green. The quilts had been a wedding gift from Molly Weasley, it was heartwarming to know the Weasley matron had put so much time, thought, and care into their gift. There were bedside tables on either side of the bed, each with a lamp and small stack of books they were individually pursuing. The floors were wooden with a few rugs scattered about, they had tried deliberately placing them but Anakin seemed to view it as his mission in life to push them around and bunch them up around furniture. He padded to the bathroom in a pair of dark blue pajama pants and went about his morning hygiene routine.

He went to the closet and pulled out his attire. His disposition might have mellowed a bit but he still preferred his sweeping black robes and dragon skin boots. He dressed, leaving his boots off for the moment. He silently walked back to their bed and leaned over his wife. He placed a gentle kiss on her temple, or at least its general neighborhood given the state of her tousled hair. "Have a good day, love you." Severus whispered into her hair before straightening up. He strode back to his closet, picked up his boots, and left the room.

He walked into their kitchen and fixed himself a bit of toast and a cup of tea. He placed a stasis charm on the remaining tea in the pot for Hermione once she woke for the day. He turned to take his breakfast to their breakfast nook when he felt something small and furry wind itself around his ankles. He looked down and was greeted by large yellow eyes from a tiny black, fur-covered face. Anakin promptly meowed his hunger-filled morning meow directly up at Severus, who immediately shushed him.

"Alright! Anakin, I'll feed you but do be quiet! I would hate to wake up your Mum before she had slept an amount she deems appropriate." Severus whispered, stepped over to the table and set his meal down. He turned back to their furry menace and reached into the cabinet for the cat food. He scooped out a bit into the cat bowl on the floor at the end of the counter.

"She really is quite horrid when she hasn't slept enough." Severus stated to a cat who was no longer interested in his attentions now that he had been fed. Severus smirked and walked back over to his breakfast. He sat down and took a bite of his toast. He chewed thoughtfully while looking around their kitchen. It was nothing fancy, all white walls with dark gray cabinets and drawers. The appliances were stainless steel. The countertops were an off white as were the tiles that made up the floor, which Severus detested but Hermione had insisted. The island in the center held a bowl of decorative balls. Something that had puzzled him but Hermione had assured him was quite common place.

Severus sighed and popped the last bite of toast into his mouth. He finished it off along with the rest of his tea. He wandlessly sent his dishes to the sink and leant down to put on his boots. Once those were properly done up, he walked into their living room. It was a cozy room, thick dark blue carpet softened the tread of his boots. There was a grey sofa and two matching arm chairs aimed at the fireplace. Above the fireplace was a television, although they rarely used it. The walls were dark wood and covered in bookshelves that were filled to bursting with their combined collection. There was also a ceiling fan directly over the sitting area, he had never seen one prior to Hermione requesting he install one. He paused for a second, he was a bit nervous this morning. This was the day he had been looking forward to for years at this point. He had started these appointments when his relationship with Hermione had gotten serious. Knowing she wanted children, and fearing his own shortcomings as a potential father, Severus Snape had secretly been in therapy for his childhood trauma for five years.

Severus gathered his nerve, plunged his hand into their Floo powder pot, and pulled out the required pinch to travel. He wandlessly cast a _muffliato _around the fireplace. This was it, today was the tentative date they set for him to review with his therapist his psychological preparedness for fatherhood. He stepped into the fire, tossed the powder, and stated clearly "The office of Counselor Weasley." Green flames shot up and he vanished.

* * *

Luna Weasley was sitting behind her desk in her office in Diagon Alley. Most of her clients came in during the week but she had one who came exclusively on Saturdays and via Floo. It was a small office actually housed in the building adjacent to Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes. They had purchased it for extra storage and let her set up her office there on the ground floor without rent since she was family and the magical world desperately needed more mental health resources after the war. The walls were a calming shade of green and her furniture was light blue. Her desk was modern looking in metal and grey. She tried not to have any clutter on it as that could make anxious clients feel even worse and many of her clients suffered from anxiety. Because this was a long standing appointment, she was dressed casually in jeans and a yellow button down shirt, untucked. Her hair was pulled back but wisps of it had escaped to stick out around her head.

Luna looked up from her desk as green flames sprang up in her fireplace. A moment later, Snape stepped out and onto the rug she had in front of it. She had readily agreed to this Saturday morning arrangement years ago, before she had even started dating Ron. She had understood her client's desire to keep it a secret even if she didn't agree with him doing so.

"Good morning, Severus." She said softly. He wiped his boots on her rug before stepping off of it.

"Good morning, Luna." He answered. It had taken over a year of their therapist-patient relationship to get him to call her by her first name. Luna had been surprised he relented that quickly. She stood up and walked over to one of the wingback chairs in front of the fireplace and Severus sat in the other. Luna opened the folder in her lap and looked down at the top sheet of paper.

"So, today is the day we set three years ago to determine if you are emotionally and psychologically in place to start a family. How are you feeling?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Well, excited, nervous, and just a touch scared. Mostly excited though, I think I might actually be exactly where we hoped I would be at this time." Snape said, clasping his hands firmly in his lap. Luna recognized that as the equivalent of fidgeting for Severus, he still felt the need for control and allowing himself to fidget with his hands during the war would have signed his death warrant. Luna didn't focus on this habit, it was relatively harmless and they had bigger battles to fight for Severus.

"That all sounds perfectly reasonably, tell me about this little bit of fear you're experiencing this morning." Luna asked, watching his face carefully. Severus glanced at her eyes and then refocused his gaze to just over her shoulder. He thought for a moment before speaking.

"I think I'm a bit scared because I know how much Hermione wants children and I am scared that I won't be ready in time for her. I worry that she will grow impatient with me, I've been joking with her that I wouldn't want to curse another person with my face." Severus said.

"Tell me, do you still feel like you are so ugly that it would be a curse for someone else to look like you?" Luna asked, pulling a pen from her pocket to make notes in the file in front of her. Severus smirked before answering.

"No, I used to think I was very ugly and could barely stand to look in the mirror. Now I realize that I simply hated myself because of the abuse from my father. He would call me ugly along with many other colorful things." Severus stated, he then paused to reflect a bit more before continuing. "Of course my classmates piled on to that but the real bulk of the self-loathing came from my father. I think because I looked like him and I think he hated himself, it would certainly explain a lot of his behavior. I don't hate myself any more. I don't think I'm most people's definition of handsome but I'm not ugly."

Luna wrote down a few notes before looking back up at Snape. She thought for a moment before asking another question. "Do you no longer think that you would continue the cycle of abuse with any potential children you and Hermione may have?"

Severus immediately answered. "I worry that I might not be the father Hermione or our children may need or want. But I don't worry about being abusive, I have been married to Hermione for almost four years now. Not once have I felt the urge to act remotely like my father. And our cat hasn't brought out any of these impulses either."

Luna grinned at him and said. "I knew the cat was a step in the right direction. Nurturing a pet can be similar to having a child."

Severus smirked and said "Yes and I appreciate you planting the idea in Hermione's head. I didn't have the first clue of how to bring it up when you gave me that bit of homework."

Luna chuckled softly and said "Well it was quite easy really. She is an open book and very suggestible. She latches on to ideas and really runs with them, as you know."

Severus huffed. "That's an understatement."

"So here is my professional opinion, I think you are ready to start trying for children. I know you feel that your ability to be a parent might be inadequate but that is a perfectly natural feeling that many men and women experience. If those feelings escalate or you find yourself experiencing relapses into self hatred, I'll be right here. I don't think you need to continue these sessions but I will keep a few hours here at the office every Saturday. If you need me please do not hesitate to visit." Luna said warmly.

Severus looked thunderstruck for a moment then his face split into a large grin. Luna could not help but smile back at him. Such a full smile from Severus Snape was so rare, it was incredibly contagious.

"Now, how do you plan on telling Hermione that you have been in therapy nearly every Saturday for the past five years and you never told her?" Luna asked, with one cocked eyebrow.

"Very carefully, I think our anniversary would be the best time to tell her. I already intended to plan something special for her but this is added incentive, maybe she won't hex me too harshly if it goes well." Severus said while rubbing the back of his neck, looking contemplative. _I will definitely pay for it but I doubt I'll receive a hexing, _he thought. Luna looked amused.

"That is rather optimistic of you. Really I think it is good timing that you are finally ready, I do believe Hermione was getting desperate." Luna said airily. Severus suddenly looked worried.

"What do you mean 'desperate?' Was she going to leave me? Everything had seemed fine…" Severus said before Luna cut in.

"No, no nothing like that. She and Ginny have come up with a rather mad plan to try to convince you that you're not ugly. She seems to be under the impression that if you stop thinking that, you will be more willing to have children." said the Ravenclaw, before she winked conspiratorially at the Slytherin next to her and continued "What can we expect from two Gryffindors? They are so close to knowing what the actual problem is but instead they take everything at surface value, leap to a conclusion, and then run with what they think is the obvious solution."

Severus smirked before saying "Yes, that does sound rather like them. Although, I had thought Hermione was a bit beyond that at this point. I think you're right, she is desperate. Will you let me in on their plans? I am very curious as what they think would accomplish this massive change."

Luna grinned at him and said "Oh no, that will take the fun out of this for me. Initially, I felt guilty for using my friendship with Hermione to aid in your therapy but I realized this is helping her too. So I'm providing therapy for two people at the cost of one. The least I can get out of this is some entertainment. Besides, their plans are rather harmless."

Severus snorted and raised an eyebrow at Luna. "Did you have a hand in these plans?" He asked.

Luna raised both eyebrows and said "I may have put Hermione on the right track to find what she was looking for, nothing more than that. Ginny had initially told her to simply hex you. This was the back-up plan. I think the pregnancy has affected Ginny's reasoning ability, she is usually quite sharp."

Severus chuckled and said jokingly "Yes, most of the Weasleys are rather bright. Even your husband has his moments."

Luna laughed and closed her file. She stood and Severus followed suit. Luna held out her hand and Severus shook it.

"Remember, I am only a Floo away if you need anything. I want you to know I am very proud of how much progress you have made over the course of the years we have been meeting. It hasn't been easy for you I know but you have really stuck it out." Luna said beaming at him. Severus felt slightly embarrassed, he hadn't anticipated such praise. He cleared his throat and replied, his cheeks slightly red.

"Thank you, I would have never made it this far without your help. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Luna suddenly looked rather slyly up at him before saying "Rumor has it you have developed a new vibrating potion with a rather interesting application that you are going to patent soon. Would it be possible for you to send me some?"

Severus' eyebrows flew up to his hairline, a look Luna knew to be Severus for flabbergasted. "And just how would you know about that? Does my wife discuss our bedroom habits or merely my private business endeavors with all and sundry?"

Luna didn't change her facial expression as she said "Neither, it was girl talk between myself, Ginny, and Hermione. We all compare notes on our husbands, where do you think she learns new techniques if not from us?"

Severus thought for a moment and said "I always assumed she researched them from a book or the internet."

Luna laughed and said "Yes, that would be the obvious explanation for her, wouldn't it? Anyway, can I get some of that potion or not?"

Severus sighed and rubbed his forehead, he really couldn't be mad at Hermione for this, he thought, he had been seeing one of her best friends as his therapist for years without telling her. "Fine, I will send some by owl later today."

* * *

Hermione woke up to a furry paw batting at her face. She pushed Anakin off of her and sat up briefly disoriented. Anakin meowed at her as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She looked at their cat, mildly annoyed. "Now really, I know you were fed this morning. Severus always feeds you before his mystery Saturday meeting." Hermione said grumpily. She threw off the red quilt and walked sleepily into the bathroom.

She came back out and pulled on a bathrobe while stepping into slippers, then ambled down the hall and into the kitchen for some breakfast. She found the still hot tea waiting for her and mentally thanked her husband for his thoughtfulness. Hermione poured a bowl of cereal and milk, then wandlessly sent her breakfast to the table and turned to find some sort of fruit to go with it. While she was facing away from the doorway, Severus quietly snuck up behind her. He was about to wrap his arms around her when she turned around holding an apple.

Hermione screamed and flailed her arms, throwing her apple across the room and frightening Anakin. The poor cat ran into the wall in his haste to get out of the kitchen, he sprang up and successfully made it out the door on his second attempt. Meanwhile, Severus did wrap his arms around his very startled wife. She slapped his chest once she had calmed for a second.

"Damnit, Severus! You scared me half to death! Why did you sneak up on me like that?!" Hermione exclaimed. Severus grinned down at her and kissed her on the nose.

"I was hoping to be a pleasant surprise and not a frightening one. My apologies, I suppose I should extend an apology to Anakin as well." Severus chuckled, remembering the poor thing running into the wall. Hermione fought it but couldn't help the laugh that burst forth at the mention of their cat.

"Yes I suppose you do, poor dear's heart is probably pounding out of his little chest." Hermione replied with a smirk and reached up to kiss him on the cheek before pulling herself out of his arms.. She walked over and retrieved her fallen apple, which she promptly washed off, and dried before walking back to the table. As Hermione sat down and started in on her breakfast, Severus poured himself another cup of tea and joined her.

"Our anniversary is in a week and a half, I was hoping to plan the date this year." Severus said over the rim of his cup, watching her reaction discreetly. Hermione's eyes widened slightly and she cleared her throat before speaking.

"Um, really? Well I had started planning a…" she paused, then continued, "Um, how about we split it this year? I already have tickets for, er, something but I didn't plan dinner." She said hopefully, inside she winced. _Smooth, Hermione, really smooth,_ she thought.

"Of course, I'll plan our dinner. What time is this 'er something?' I need to know for the dinner plans." Severus asked, mildly amused by her attempts to keep whatever it was a secret. He wasn't terribly concerned since this must be the plans Luna had referenced.

Hermione looked up, a little surprised he didn't ask more about what the tickets were for. "We need to be there at 6 PM, it's in London. You aren't going to ask me about it?" She asked, unable to suppress her need to ask questions. Severus smirked at her.

"I was under the impression you wanted to surprise me with whatever it is. I would hate for all of your subterfuge to go to waste." Severus said over his cup, winking at her devilishly. Hermione laughed.

"I know, I'm pants at keeping secrets from you!" She said, still chuckling. Severus smiled at her, he couldn't help but feel he was incredibly lucky to have someone like her in his life during moments like this.

"Anything for my lioness." He replied quietly smiling at her as she smiled at him across the table and went back to her breakfast.


	3. Chapter 3

_Eight days later_

Ginny was searching through Hermione's closet and not finding a single suitable item. Ginny sighed and turned to her friend. "Why does your closet look like it belongs to my Aunt Muriel?! Even my mum's closet has more thrilling things to wear than this." Ginny stated, mildly exasperated. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Now really, that's an exaggeration! I have plenty of hot, fashionable things!" Hermione exclaimed in her defense. She reached in and pulled out a low cut dark green dress with a rather daring back, which was much more racy than the green flannel button up shirt she was wearing over a pair of black leggings. "Look at this! I just bought this for the upcoming Ministry fundraiser, the lady at the store assured me it was highly fashionable."

Ginny grinned at her. "Fine, I'll admit that is beautiful but it's not what you need for this concert. We need black and leather. Something a bit more...well honestly like your husband's wardrobe." Ginny stated, looking bemused. Hermione huffed and folded her arms across her chest. Then she realized that she definitely a selection of items that Ginny would probably find appropriate for the occasion. Hermione nervously rubbed her hands on her arms in thought.

"What sort of black or leather items?" Hermione asked, looking at Ginny with what she hoped was a normal expression.

"I looked it up online, how this bloke's concerts look. You want a black leather skirt, some tall black leather boots, and a sexy black top of some kind. Something that really showcases your ladies." Ginny said, wagging her eyebrows and holding her hands in front of her own chest. Hermione smirked, _yes_, she thought, _I have a few options in that case, but how to get Ginny's opinion without giving too much of our secret sex life away? I certainly don't share everything with the girls… _Then she had an idea.

"I have a couple of things that fit that description in a storage box down in the basement. I'll go get them, you can stay up here, I know the stairs are hard with your current state." Hermione said, already heading towards her bedroom door. Ginny's face lit up, as she followed Hermione out the door, waddling slightly in her orange floral maternity dress.

"Oh great! Can I use your computer to pull up some pictures for inspiration?" Ginny asked, walking down the hallway with her. Hermione let out a slight sigh of relief, for a second she thought her friend was going to insist on coming downstairs with her.

"Sure Gin, help yourself." Hermione said as she pushed open her office door and switched on the light. "I'll be right back."

Hermione walked down the stairs and flipped on the light. They had a fully finished basement, this first room held surplus supplies for Severus' apothecary. Hermione walked across the room half full of wooden crates contained potions ingredients and stopped at the door to the adjacent room. This room was their pet project when they bought the house. They had conducted extensive research on the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts and had managed to replicate some of its magic. She and her husband had supplied the room with various props, sex toys, and outfits which the room would then present upon reading their needs when they entered the room.

Hermione hoped her current needs for some specific wardrobe items would be read by the room. She grasped the door knob and opened the door. Hermione stepped inside and burst out laughing. The room had supplied her with all of the black and leather clothing items for her as well as a leather flogger and a large black paddle. She walked over and collected the items she felt were appropriate to be seen in public.

Hermione went back upstairs to a rather surprised Ginny, who could not believe Hermione had such clothing in her possession. Ginny lifted an eyebrow at her and jokingly said "What do you and Severus get up to in the basement?"

Hermione blushed slightly and lightly shoved Ginny's arm before saying "Those were leftover from the sexshop that was in the building Severus purchased to house his apothecary. I thought they might be fun for Halloween or something." She felt rather proud to have come up with a likely story so easily. Severus wouldn't have been fooled but Ginny bought it hook line and sinker. "Now come on, help me put something together. I still need to figure out what to tell Severus to wear."

Ginny smirked and said "I bet your husband would love for you to dress up with these things for Halloween or really any day of the week. I hope you actually get to the concert after dinner because when I'm done with you, he won't be able to keep his hands off of you."

Hermione nearly laughed out loud, her husband did love her in leather but it wouldn't be a new sight for him.

* * *

Severus sighed softly as he brewed in the laboratory beneath his apothecary. He was pretty sure he had successfully modified the ingredients such that his vibrating potion could now mimic pressure applied to it in addition to vibration. He stirred one final counterclockwise stroke and carefully removed the glass stirrer. After lowering the flames under the cauldron and setting na 30 minute timer with his wand, Severus settled himself on his stool for the 30 minute simmer. It needed to be removed precisely or it would lose potency.

He was pondering just what his wife had planned for their anniversary. Severus couldn't imagine anything he would want to see that required tickets purchased in advance. He wasn't terribly worried, Hermione knew him very well, better than he knew himself at times. He smirked as he remembered just how their relationship had begun…

_July 5, 1998_

Azkaban Prison

Severus was lying on his back, wearing his prison issue grey robes, staring up at the ceiling of his tiny, damp cell from the musty, threadbare excuse for a mattress they had so charitably provided. He had been placed there until the Wizengamot could get around to his trial. They were a bit preoccupied with dealing out justice to those the public and the government agreed were in the wrong. As usual, Severus had fallen in a grey area, many viewed his role a necessary evil and there lay the problem. The public and government seemed equal parts torn over which descriptor to focus in on for his fate, necessary to win or evil by mere association and inaction to Death Eater activities. He felt a bit indifferent about it, he was merely surprised to find himself alive when the smoke had cleared. Apparently, his precaution of taking a carefully crafted antivenin due to the potential of a bite from Nagini had paid off. Although he had nearly bled to death, if not for the quick thinking of Hermione Granger to douse him in dittany, he surely would have. He supposed that was who he had to thank for his current accommodations, which he would only admit to himself were certainly better than a coffin, if only marginally more comfortable.

Severus' internal reflections were broken by the sound of guards approaching his cell. He sat up quickly, stood, and walked to the bars to peer down the corridor. It wasn't lunch time nor was he due to receive any visitors. Perhaps he would get another shower? Weekly showers left his hair in an atrocious state and even he found it despairing to catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror these days. He had grown a rather full, untrimmed beard and his oily hair was hanging limply past his shoulders. Two guards stopped outside his cell.

"Step back and put your hands over your head." One of them stated gruffly. Severus willingly did so, he really needed to learn their names but they rotated so many that he never saw the same ones twice. They were undoubtedly former students of his but he made it a point to forget the students who didn't show much aptitude for his subject so that meant he remembered very few names over the course of his career.

The guards unlocked the cell, entered, and the second one pulled Severus' hands down and behind his back while the first guard watched. He pulled out a set of magical hand cuffs and tightly clamped them on his wrists, they served two purposes. The first was a purely physical restraint and the second was they prevented wandless magic. Once the cuffs were in place, they guided Severus down the hallway. They walked past the showers and any other room Severus had been taken to so far during his stay. They stopped outside of a door and the first guard turned to Severus.

"You will be respectful during this visit and you will not touch or attempt to touch any person in the room behind this door. Is that clear Snape?" Guard number one stated rather forcefully.

Severus nodded, now wondering who the hell was on the other side of that door. Who wanted to come gawk at the disgraced Ol' Snape? Minerva? He was drawing a blank on who else would make such a dreary trip to this miserable rock just to see him. The guards unlocked the door and walked him into an empty room that had a one-way window in it. In the middle of the floor was a worn, wooden table with a chair on either side of it. They magically removed the chain from his handcuffs, leaving the wrist portions on to continue preventing his use of magic. Severus sat in the chair nearest to his entrance. The guards stepped out and buzzer sounded in the room. The door on the other side of room opened and in stepped one of the last people he ever expected.

"Good afternoon, Professor Snape." Hermione Granger said warmly, as she crossed the room and sat across from him. She was wearing a simple set of blue dress robes, those given to students of Wizarding law. She nearly reached her hand out to shake his until she remembered the "no touching" rule.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger. It might have escaped your notice but I am no longer a professor anywhere. Unless I started holding lectures for all of the rats that scamper about this place. I'm sure their minds would prove as fertile as many of your classmates, perhaps more than several. Longbottom and Potter come to mind." Severus stated, with a sneer. He folded his arms across his chest, as he looked at her closely. He didn't remember her looking quite so...mature? Yes, he definitely did not find her attractive, she looked mature.

"Fine, what shall I call you then? Mr. Grumpy Pants? Bat of the Dungeons? Sir Flaps-a-lot? Or Harry's favorite, Greasy GIt?" Hermione asked with a huff. She had known he would be sarcastic but she had forgotten how insulting he could be given she hadn't interacted with him in almost a year.

Severus smirked, internally, _Sir Flaps-a-lot_?! That was a new one, it sounded like something she had come up with herself. He brought a hand up to stroke his beard as he pierced her with his gaze. _Why is she even here, surely she had better things to waste her time on than pestering me?! _

"I think Mr. Snape is sufficient, seeing as I have not been properly knighted in Flappingham. So, what has brought you on this visit? I assume it isn't a social call. I would offer you tea and biscuits but it is my shopping day." He replied, sarcastically. He watched her closely, trying to discern just what she wanted with him.

Hermione smirked, had all of his biting comments really been his way of expressing humor? She reached into her bag and pulled out a notebook. She flipped it open and looked up at him. Hermione had come prepared in case she panicked and forgot what she wanted to say, it was all outlined on the page in front of her. Hermione hoped she wouldn't need it as she began to speak all in a rush.

"Well, I don't know if you realize this, but I am the reason you survived the Battle at Hogwarts and I have felt terribly guilty about the fact that I saved you only for you to sit in prison. I tried to reason with the Wizengamot on your behalf but they wouldn't listen to an unqualified witch so I had to sit my N.E.W.T.s in order to be taken seriously. But they still wouldn't listen after I passed those with flying colors, they said I didn't understand the intricacies of magical law. So I started my education as a lawyer in the Ministry's own program, I had wanted to pursue a career in law anyway. I have been searching high and low in my free time since I started the program two weeks ago and I think I have found a way to get you out of here but you may not like it."

At this point, Hermione took a deep breath, she had been talking incredibly fast. She had been concerned he would stop her before she could say her piece. She exhaled and looked at him. Severus merely continued to stare at her with his dark eyes full of thought.

_So I am her newest project? Feels sorry for poor little Severus, does she?_ He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to berate her but she started talking again, clearly intent on having him hear her out.

"Before you say what is probably a scathing insult about me as a person, please hear what your options are. Option one, you await your trial and I help you put materials together in your defense to sway the Wizengamot in your favor. Option two, we petition for the Wizengamot to make a decision without a trial. That is a real gamble, from what I can gather they are rather split on what to do with you. This would definitely end any anxiety you have about waiting for an answer, although it may mean a life sentence. Now.." She began but was interrupted by Severus.

"I'm thinking option three, you bugger off! I have no desire to be your little project, I didn't ask for any help from you or anyone else! I don't need your pity!" Severus snapped, careful not to lean any closer or look remotely like he might touch her. He had no desire to find out what happened when an inmate violated that rule.

Hermione sneered at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, good because I don't pity you! I merely thought it was a crime to lock up the brilliant mind behind our otherwise impossible victory. You are still young by wizarding standards and still have plenty to contribute to society if the intelligent man who taught me is still under that oily mop of hair." Hermione snapped right back. "Now if you are quite done having your little fit, I will outline option three."

Severus was speechless, he had not anticipated her response, he merely gave her a curt nod. Hermione smirked and continued.

"Now, as I was saying, option three, there is a legal precedence for wartime spies, specifically double agents, to be released under legal supervision. You would still stand a trial but you would not have to wait during the interim here."

Severus was puzzled, "What do you mean 'legal supervision?'" he asked, but he feared he already knew the answer.

Hermione shifted in her seat and looked away from his penetrating black eyes. "You would need someone to vouch for you. It would mean living with someone trusted in the legal system and they would be held responsible if you break the law again or leave the country before your trial." Hermione grumbled, looking at a point beyond his head. Severus scoffed.

"Well, if that's all! I'm sure there is a line of people stretched the length of Diagon Alley waiting to vouch for the behavior of a former Death Eater. By all means, send them in so I can choose a suitable one from the line-up. Maybe I will get lucky and it will be an attractive woman who finds greasy, skinny old gits who flap about irresistible." Severus replied sarcastically. Really this was a waste of his time...actually it wasn't, what the hell else was he doing?! Oddly enough, Miss Granger blushed slightly (_now that's interesting, he thought_) before replying.

"I already looked into it and it seems there is only one person eligible to vouch for you and willing to do so." She stated, still avoiding eye contact with him.

Severus brought a hand up to cover his eyes, he had a feeling he knew who had volunteered for what surely sounded like a nightmare for any of his former students. He sighed as he removed his hand from his face, he would have her say it, even if he had no plans of actually taking her up on this ridiculous plan.

"Oh really, Miss Granger? And what dim-witted, dunderheaded, delirious dolt volunteered for this fool's errand?" Her snarky, former professor asked, rather enjoying this rare opportunity to practice his alliterative insults, although he was a bit rusty. Hermione sighed, she really had set herself up for this.

"Me." She said, knowing he had already figured out that bit on his own. Severus smirked at her, she scowled at him.

"Absolutely not, I would rather stay here for eternity in this limbo than live with you, which sounds like a personal hell." Severus said, still smirking, it wasn't everyday he got to tell people exactly what he thought of them, at least not any more.

Hermione grimaced and said "Just think about it, I will visit again to discuss your options." She stood to leave... Severus was abruptly pulled from his reflections to the present day where his timer was going off.

He swifty shut off the flames and used his wand to magically move the cauldron to an adjacent counter. Severus chuckled to himself, he had really been a bastard on that first visit. Hermione had returned twice a week over four weeks before he finally caved and agreed to be released in her custody. He smiled softly to himself, she really was quite persistent. He started decanting the potion into small, compact jars. Severus grinned wickedly to himself, perhaps he would field test this modification later this evening. He still had to ensure it was safe on his skin and performed properly, which he would do after it had cooled sufficiently. If his test went well, his wife was in for an interesting night.

* * *

Hermione opened the oven, a wave of flavorful steam puffed out in her face as she leaned in to pull out a beef roast. She tried to make sure to cook something filling for both of them on Sunday nights to make up for their poor eating habits during the week. Anakin was peering into the oven, sniffing as fast as his little nose could go. With the roast cooling on the stove top, Hermione turned to the breadbox and pulled out a package of rolls. She pulled out several and put them on a cookie sheet. It was far easier to warm up store bought rolls than it was to bake them from scratch. As she was reaching for the knob to adjust the oven's temperature, a pair of arms wrapped around her.

"AHHHHH! Severus! Would you please stop startling me in the kitchen! One or both of us could get hurt." She exclaimed, her protests weakening as he kissed his way from her partially exposed shoulder up to behind her ear.

He chuckled and rumbled directly in her ear "Nonsense, I was watching you from the doorway until you were done handling the roast. Which smells delicious by the way, not nearly as good as you smell though."

Hermione smirked and turned her head towards him. He immediately went in for a kiss, which Hermione returned.

"How was your day?" She asked as she turned and reached to actually adjust the knob to the oven. Severus reached a hand out, placed it on top of hers, and switched the oven off. He pulled her hand off the knob and ran his own hands from her thighs and up her body to the hemline of her shirt.

"Not bad, very productive. I was hoping to...verify just how successful my productivity was today." He said before he began kissing her neck again, this time from her ear down. His hands began traveling up her abdomen beneath her shirt to her breasts, which to his delight he found were not encased in a bra. He immediately set about pinching her nipples to hardened points. Hermione inhaled sharply and moaned softly, rather enjoying her husband's attentions.

"Oh really? What exactly will I be the guinea pig for this time? Some variation of the potion from last time, I hope. That one was a much better time than your warming lubricant. That one felt like my entire lower half had been set aflame." She said, while tilting her head to the side to give him better access. Severus bit her neck lightly then ran his tongue back up her neck to her ear. He removed one hand from her chest and brought it down smack her firmly on the ass, eliciting a surprised moan.

"That wasn't my fault, witch! My assistant neglected to test it on mucosal tissue. It was perfectly fine on regular skin." He growled in her ear. "Although, I have been working on improving that one, but I don't want to discuss that right now."

He pulled his hands from under her shirt and spun her around. She hopped up on the counter and pulled him closer. Hermione grinned at him as she pressed her forehead to his.

"What did you want to talk about? I was under the impression you didn't want to talk." She said kissing the tip of his nose. Severus grinned wickedly at her, then replied, "You know me so well."

Hermione ran her hands up his arms and into his hair before pulling him into a kiss. Severus turned his head and deepened the kiss, tangling his tongue with hers. Hermione wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer as he began unbuttoning her shirt. She pulled her hands from his hair so he could slide the shirt off.

Severus broke the kiss slightly breathless, he looked Hermione in the eyes and said, "I have a proposition for you, let's take my new potion to the basement. It's been a while since we played down there and I think this will greatly enhance the experience, for both of us."

Hermione huffed out a laugh and cocked an eyebrow before saying, "When you put it like that, how can a girl possibly refuse?"

Severus grinned at her before lifting her off the counter by her bum and began walking towards their basement. Hermione gave a surprised yelp and latched on to him even tighter. "Those were my thoughts as well." He said, as he started down the stairs. Severus walked over to the door to their personal room of requirement and opened it.

* * *

A/N I know its terrible to end it here! However, I want to do the next bit justice so it will be in the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry this update is a few days late, I try to post once a week but I have been a busy lady! This one is twice as long as the others so I think that is partly to blame. Warning: contains light dom/sub, spanking, light bondage, and hints at wax play. The dom/sub play is nothing formal between them, it is just for play as they both enjoy it.

* * *

Severus pushed open the door to their room and carried Hermione inside. The walls were a dark red while the floors were mahogany. The room had provided them with a dark green sofa and rope. Severus set his wife on her feet with care, walked over to the sofa, and smoothly sat in the middle. He beckoned Hermione over with a single curved finger and a smirk on his face. She hurried over to him, already anticipating what he had in mind.

"Remove your leggings but leave on your knickers." The dark haired wizard commanded, "Then lie across my lap."

Hermione eagerly removed her leggings, her state of arousal from the brief foreplay in the kitchen escalated significantly with his commanding tone. Her husband's eyes never left her body, drifting down to the simple black thong accented with green lace, he made quick work of revealing the rest of her lithe body, when she noticed her husband's needy gaze and hastened to drape herself in his lap. Severus wrapped an arm around her middle and pulled her more firmly into place. He brought his right hand to her rear and rubbed both cheeks appreciatively, knowing that the delay was only enhancing her arousal.

"You will receive 15 strikes from my hand as a warm-up followed by 20 more at a moderate intensity. You will count each of them and thank me afterwards." He stated firmly before beginning..

_Smack!_

"One! Thank you, sir!"

_Smack!_

"Two! Thank you, sir!"

Severus continued dealing blows to her backside that was slowly turning pink. He finished the first 15 strikes and adjusted her on his lap. Hermione could feel his erection jutting up into her abdomen, she was feeling the warm, delicious glow of the warm-up spanking and knew there was even more to come. She squirmed slightly, wishing he would continue, the sooner he resumed her spanking, the sooner he would get to addressing her ever-growing state of arousal.

The potions master reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a slim jar. He unscrewed the cap and scooped out a generous amount of the vicious potion with his right hand. "Spread your legs. " Severus commanded, as Hermione rushed to do so. If he was going to spank her while also touching her or providing her any type of stimulation, she would be damned if she was going to delay his actions.

Her husband carefully applied the potion to her clitoris and the surrounding part of her labia. The witch bit her bottom lip and groaned as he rubbed a very deliberate circle over her clitoris, she could not hear him muttering an incantation while he touched her. Severus removed his hand from between her legs but the sensation that he was rubbing her remained. Hermione jerked her hips and moaned involuntarily when her husband muttered an additional incantation and moderate vibrations began to accompany the ghostlike sensations the potion was continuing to provide.

"Now, lie still, you have a remaining 20 spanks. I will expect you to continue counting, if you can't, I will have to add 5 more." Severus said with a grin when the witch in his lap stuttered out a "Yes, sir."

_Smack!_

"One! Thank you, sir!" Hermione managed to say, hoping she could maintain her focus enough to continue. The first one had already brought her close to orgasm in tandem with the delicious sensations acting on her clitoris.

"Ah ah ah, Madam Snape, that was actually 16, not one. Looks like you get an extra five." Her husband said while grinning wickedly. _I really did set her up for that one_, he thought. Hermione muttered a curse word under her breath, knowing he had done that purposefully.

_Smack!_

"Seventeen! Thank you, sir!" She managed to say all in a rush before orgasming with a shout. Severus paused the effects of the potion momentarily with a single word and hand gesture as his wife came down from her orgasm. Once he felt she was up to it, he resumed the spanking, turning her bottom a lovely shade of red.

_Smack!_

"Forty! Thank you, sir!"

The dark haired wizard rubbed her warm rear and briefly admired the color he had managed to give it. Hermione was ready for another orgasm, having recovered from the first and built up to a second with the remainder of the spanking. She squirmed slightly against the erection digging into her midsection, hoping it would be put to good use soon. Severus smirked at her eagerness, he was rather eager himself.

"Can you stand?"

"Oh yes, sir!" Hermione said as she quickly, if a bit clumsily, stood from the sofa. Severus brought his left hand to his face briefly under the guise of wiping it to hid a grin. He hoped she never stopped being so eager for his attentions.

"Remove your knickers. Then, bend over the arm of the sofa and put your hands behind your back." He commanded silkily as he stood and vanished his clothes to the laundry room. The lean wizard picked up a the rope then stepped behind his wife and began to tie her hands together. She wiggled her hips just slightly, the anticipation was building the longer he took to touch her again, not to mention she loved to have her hands and arms restrained.

Once Severus was done tieing her hands, he placed a hand on her hip and used the other to align himself with her entrance. He slid in and they both groaned appreciatively. His hand came up and slapped her reddened rear as he began to set a hard and fast pace. Hermione knew she was on the edge of a second organsm when her husband threw several more slaps on hot skin. She arched her back and moaned his name as she orgasmed a second time, he continued at his brutal pace.

Severus reached forward and pulled her upper body from the sofa and against his upper body. Her hips were still pressed firmly into the arm of the sofa and he continued to pound into her. His hands shot around her to land on her hardened nipples, which he pulled and pinched to the sound of her groans. He growled in her ear and pushed her roughly back down towards the sofa. Severus whispered the incantation to resume the previous sensation on her sensitive nub, causing her to gasp and cry out. He grabbed her hips and began to thrust more forcefully into her.

"Come for me witch, one more time." He commanded, feeling himself nearing his own completion. Hermione, unable to prevent it even if she wanted to, immediately felt her third organasm rush over her as she moaned and shouted. "Oh gods, Severus!"

Severus felt her orgasm pull his own from his body and he groaned out her name as he finished as well. He muttered "Finite incantatem" to stop the actions of the potion. He pulled himself from her body, removed the rope from her hands, and walked around the sofa to collapse next to her. Hermione crawled completely over the arm of the sofa and curled up in his lap as he draped his arms around her loosely. Severus pressed a kiss on to her forehead and simply held her as their heartbeats slowed down to normal. Hermione began to trace circles on his chest then sighed contentedly before suddenly sitting up straight and saying "Oh no!"

She sprang up and sprinted up the stairs to their kitchen. Severus jumped up and followed her, scowling in concern and calling after her "Hermione! What on earth is the matter?!"

Hermione arrived in the kitchen moments before her husband came rushing in behind her looking confused and concerned simultaneously. In front of them on the counter lay a sleeping cat whose head and paws were resting in the pan with their carefully prepared dinner, partially eaten by the animal currently in a food coma. Hermione sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I forgot to cover it or cast a ward around it, I should have known that furry little bugger would go after it."

Severus chuckled then said "Merlin's beard! You nearly gave me a heart attack with the way you acted, rushing up the stairs like that. So, I guess we will call in a pizza after we shower?" He kissed her shoulder before she turned and suddenly looked at him quite sternly.

"Absolutely not, I'm not finished with you, . This," the witch gestured as she said it "is your fault. I believe there should be some repercussions."

Stepping back from her husband and crossing her arms over her chest, Hermione continued to give him a serious look that didn't quite reach her eyes. For a second, Severus had no idea what she was on about but quickly caught on to the implication.

"Yes of course, Madam. And what do you suggest is the solution to our predicament?" He asked unable to hide his body's growing excitement over what she may have in mind.

Hermione circled him slowly, bringing up one of her hands to tap a finger on her lips in contemplation. Past experience had taught her that making him wait added to his arousal and overall enjoyment of the encounter, it did the same for her. The witch stopped in front of him and continued to remain silent. Finally, his wife spoke to him "You will go back downstairs, I want the St. Andrew's cross, a blindfold, lit candles, and that potion you just used on me. Once this is set out, you will stand with your nose in the corner and think about your actions. When I come back downstairs from cleaning up your mess, you will tell me the incantations to use the potion and then you will be silent. Understood?"

His face remained still but his pupils had dilated and his breathing had hitched at the mention of the candles. He nodded curtly and said "Yes, Madam."

Hermione smirked, "Good, now get down there. I'll be down eventually."

Not knowing when she would come down, Severus hurried to get everything set up as she asked. Hermione smiled once he was out of sight then spun quickly to address the kitchen. "Anakin, get your furry little arse down from there," she said as she shooed him off the counter. The animal in question stretched slowly before hopping back down to the floor. Hermione grabbed the pan and unceremoniously dumped its contents into the bin. She put the pan into the sink and filled it with water, it would be fine until she addressed it with her wand later.

Knowing Severus was not done setting up what she had requested, Hermione went into the living room for her glasses. While she only needed them for reading, her husband loved it when she wore to the basement. Upon further thought, the young witch made an additional detour to their bathroom to fix her messy hair up into a severe bun. He loved that too, she didn't dwell too much on the fact that with her glasses and her hair up like this, she bore a slight resemblance to Professor McGonagall. Feeling like she had given him just enough time to have everything out and be in the corner, Hermione headed back down the stairs to drip hot wax on her soon to be bound, blindfolded, and very much beloved husband.

* * *

_The day of the Snapes' Anniversary_

Hermione eagerly stood up from her desk at the Ministry of Magic and quickly tidied up her desk. Tonight was their anniversary and she was leaving work a bit early to have dinner with her husband before the concert. After getting the desk into a presentable state, Hermione smoothed her skirt and picked up her briefcase. She glanced around the room quickly to ensure she hadn't forgotten anything then stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door as she went. A quick walk down the hall outside her office and she was impatiently waiting for a lift.

The doors slid open to reveal one of her best friends, Harry Potter, whose face lit up upon seeing her.

"Happy anniversary, Hermione! I was on my way to see you. Are you leaving?" Harry asked, as she stepped into the lift with him. Hermione smiled at her childhood friend and pressed the button for the lobby.

"Thanks, Harry! Yes, I'm leaving a bit early this afternoon since we have plans for tonight. How have you been? How's Gin doing?" She asked as the lift started to take them up to the main floor.

Harry shrugged his shoulder and said "Ginny's fine, I'm terrified, you know the usual."

Hermione lightly slapped his arm but couldn't help the chuckle that burst forth at his response. "Now really, you'll be fine, she'll be fine, the baby will be fine. There's nothing to be scared of!" She assured him, knowing it wouldn't really change the way he felt. Harry shrugged again.

"I'm sure I'll live, after everything else we've been through, I'm kind of used to being scared and everything working out reasonably well." Harry said rather nonchalantly. "Gin told me about your mad plan to take Severus to a metal concert to get him in the mood for children."

The young woman sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Leave it to Harry to halfway listen and put together his own conclusion. _Actually, why am I even the least bit surprised by that?! _She thought, as the lift stopped and the doors opened to let them off. They stepped out and began walking to the Floo entrance/exit area.

"That's not what I'm planning, I'm hoping to show him that plenty of people find men like him attractive so any children he has aren't going to be 'cursed' with his looks." Hermione said, shifting her briefcase to the other hand. "I think his reluctance to start a family is rooted in his self esteem. Hopefully this Marilyn Manson concert will improve his overall self-image."

Harry shook his head as he walked with his friend around a large group of witches and wizards following Kingsley Shacklebolt across the lobby. "If you say so, most of your plans seem mental but a lot of them actually work out. Good luck!" He said as they arrived at the first vacant fireplace. Hermione took a pinch of Floo powder from the mantle above it and tossed it into the flames. She turned towards her friend and said "Thanks, see you later!"

Hermione turned back to the fire and said "The Snape residence" before stepping into the green flames and vanishing.

Severus Snape was carefully laying out the Chinese takeaway he had acquired from a seedier part of London hours before and kept under a stasis charm on a dining table that he had pulled from the basement. He had already placed a ward around the table to keep Anakin away from their dinner, having learned that the furry little menace could not be trusted. The dark haired wizard was wearing a set of dress robes that his wife had picked out for him, so they were not black but a very dark grey, she called it a compromise while he thought of it as a loss. However, she loved it when he wore them so damn it all, he wore them.

Looking down at the table, he realized he forgot the wine. Severus pulled out his wand, summoned and chilled it nonverbally before breaking the wax seal. As he pulled out the cork, he heard his wife arrive through the Floo in their living room.

"Severus! Where are you, love? Should I change for dinner? What time do we have to leave? If it's not anywhere too fancy, I might not have to change completely…" She kept up a steady stream of questions as she walked towards the kitchen, having seen the light on in there. Hermione stopped talking when she walked into the scene before the kitchen. She brought a hand to her mouth and felt the tears welling up in her eyes. Her husband walked over to her, holding two wine glasses and the open bottle of wine. She looked up and met his eyes as he smiled at her. Losing her battle with the tears, Hermione smiled back at him as one slid down her cheek. He set down the wine and the glasses before wrapping his wife in a warm, comforting hug.

Hermione chuckled and said, her voice slightly muffled by his robes "I can't believe you went all the way back to our old neighborhood just for takeout. And I see you bought the same cheap wine from that night too."

Severus chuckled as well, then said "Well, I was feeling a bit nostalgic and I was hoping to charm you out of your knickers. I heard a rumor that the lady of this house is terribly difficult to seduce, you know. It can take over a year to get her to admit she even likes you."

Silent laughter shook Hermione's frame as she tried but failed to prevent it from bursting forth. She raised her head from his shoulder and whispered in his ear "Funny, I heard the same thing about grumpy old potions masters, especially the one that lives here."

Severus smirked at her and replied "You can't possibly be talking about me, everyone knows I'm an easy lay and a cheap date." He rubbed his hands up and down her back. Hermione smiled at him and turned to the table.

"Well let's have this dinner, it tasted like the best meal I ever had when we ate it the night after your trial all those years ago." Hermione stated, moving to sit down as her husband hurried to pull out her chair from the dining table.

* * *

_September 23, 1999_

Based on the evidence presented from numerous sources, including Dumbledore's portrait and Harry Potter's account of events, as well as Hermione Granger's carefully crafted defense, Severus Snape was found not guilty of a multitude of charges due to his actions being deemed necessary for the success of the overall war effort. Severus could hardly believe his luck as he stepped foot outside of the Ministry that evening. He looked over at the amazing woman standing next to him and couldn't help but to feel a deep seated regret that he was no longer legally required to live with her. Hermione smiled up at him but must have seen the sadness in his eyes as her smile faded slightly. Before either of them could say anything dozens of camera bulbs flashed in their faces accompanied by a swarm of voices shouting questions at them.

"Snape! How does it feel to literally get away with murder?!"

"Granger! What would your parents think of you shacking up with a man who would hates their very existence?!"

"Were the two of you involved with one another before Granger left Hogwarts to help Harry Potter?!"

"Will the verdict be thrown out because you have violated the terms of Snape's release from Azkaban?!"

Until the last question, they had been fighting their way through the crowd to reach the apparition point. Hermione abruptly stopped walking and spun to face the press member that had asked such a question. Rita Skeeter grinned at her and wiggled her immaculately manicured fingers at her. Hermione pulled her wand from within her blue dress robes and pointed it at Skeeter.

"Give me a reason!" She ground out through clenched teeth. "We were not romantically involved at any point during his stay in my home! The ministry placed a spell to monitor us and ensure that we did not break that contract!"

Upon hearing his legal savior practically growling at someone behind him, Severus realized Hermione had not continued walking with him. He turned and immediately began to push his way back towards her after seeing her very confrontational stance with some member of the press. Others had noticed the situation and had given the two witches a wide berth to ensure they were not caught up in it. This also provided a better angle for what was sure to be thousands of different photographs of this scene.

"Oh please! You aren't fooling me, Miss Granger! You went after dangerous, famous men since you were 12! How long did it take you to set your sights on this one?! I'm sure the Death Eater Severus Snape was the ultimate prize once you learned about his troubled past, while you were still in school I might add. Did it start with a detention? Did he bend you over his desk and spank you for being a swotty little brat?!" Skeeter taunted her, a quick quotes quill scribbling rapidly across a roll of parchment hovering near her.

Had Severus not reached Hermione at that moment, he feared he may have been obligated to attempt to return the favor of getting her released from Azkaban because there was murder in the young Gryffindor's eyes. He reached one hand out to pluck her wand out of her hand and used the other to cast a _Silencio_ on the pair of squabbling witches. If looks could kill, the dark haired wizard would have died at least thrice when their ire was directed at the culprit for their sudden silencing. He grabbed Hermione by her forearm and began pulling her away.

"You seem to have put a lot of thought into what detentions with me would be like, Miss Skeeter." Severus threw out mockingly as he continued a silent battle with Hermione, attempting to get her to leave without further trouble. She was gesturing, silently yelling, and trying to remove his hands from her person. "Perhaps you are the one interested in a romantic relationship with me? I'm not sure you'd be up to my standards, I prefer women who don't look like a two Knut whore."

At that, Hermione quit fighting him to start laughing in what would surely have been a loud, uproarious fashion if not for the silencing spell. Rita Skeeter's jaw dropped and she began yelling obscenities that couldn't be heard but were obvious from her movements. Severus seized the opportunity to finally drag Hermione from the crowd to the apparition point and spun away, back to her apartment.

Upon arrival, he removed the silencing charm and was immediately bombarded with Hermione's laughter over his insult to Rita Skeeter. "Oh my god! Did you see her face when you called her 'a two Knut whore?!' I never much enjoyed those barbs you call jokes directed at me in school but it was amazing to see it turned on her!" Hermione leaned down to put her hands on her knees and continue laughing.

Severus couldn't help but chuckle watching her laugh so enthusiastically at his insult to the horrible Skeeter woman. Hermione straightened up to catch her breath and turned towards him. "Well I must say I needed a good laugh after everything over the past...well several years actually. It's time to celebrate! You won!" Hermione said as she threw her hands in the air.

Severus scowled at her reaction, he knew she had very limited funds for any celebration. They had been living off of her student stipend and whatever money he could scrape together filling a few potions orders from a dodgy apothecary on Knockturn Alley. That's why her apartment was in a rundown part of London, it was the only place she could afford an apartment that met the Ministry's requirements of two bedrooms and standard utilities. Most days they ate frozen foods or ramen noodles with a grilled cheese. They usually had a bit of fruit or a vegetable to try to balance it. Not that it bothered him to eat cheap food, Merlin only knew he had grown up on comparable meals.

"Really, that's not necessary. We can just have a frozen pizza or something." He said, feeling guilty that he couldn't contribute more to the finances. Hermione's smile faded slightly.

"Of course it's necessary! I know something that will do the trick, it won't cost much but it will be a treat compared to what we've had lately." Hermione replied, lightly slapping his arm. "Give me my wand back then you head upstairs to change from your dress robes and I'll be back in a tick."

With her wand back, the young witch began to briskly walk down the street and turn a corner out of sight. Severus sighed and opened the door to the apartment building. It was an old brick building that had seen better days but not in his lifetime. He started up the creaky wooden stairs, a door slammed above him but he was used to the doors slamming pretty often so he didn't even look up. Reaching the apartment door, he slid his hand into his pocket to pull out his key.

Once inside, Severus threw his keys on the small wooden table just inside the door. He slipped off his shoes and walked through the tiny living room to his bedroom. It was generous to call it a bedroom, it barely contained a twin bed and a set of drawers for his clothing. Despite all of that, it was the first place he had ever stayed in his life where he had felt completely at ease and safe. He was going to miss his room but not as much as he would miss Hermione. Severus sighed and set about changing into more comfortable clothes, dark grey sweatpants and a worn-looking black thermal shirt.

Back in the living room, the somewhat dejected man sat on the old brown couch with a book out. He was staring at it but not really absorbing anything, he had been dreading this day for a while now. Either way the verdict went, Hermione would be gone from his life. Severus reached up and rubbed his forehead, he needed to snap out of it. She would be back soon with whatever meal she had suddenly decided would suit the occasion.

_I knew this whole affair was a bad idea! You don't know how to just be friends with a woman who's nice to you, do you? You just had to develop unreciprocated feelings, again! _Severus thought, berating himself. _Like she would ever look twice at you, a man who is not only twice her age but also taught her for a significant portion of her school years. You're lucky as hell that she even decided to help you. You will leave this place with dignity and not impose on her hospitality any longer than necessary. _

Hermione burst through the door just then startling him and ending his internal monologue. She was carrying a large plastic bag and a smaller brown paper bag while grinning from ear to ear. Severus set his book to the side and sprang up from the couch to give her a hand. "I'm back!" She announced happily.

Holding out the plastic bag, Hermione slid off her shoes. He took the bag and peered down inside with curiosity.

"It's Chinese takeout. I didn't know what you like so I got a few standards, sweet and sour chicken, chicken curry, some pork egg rolls, and some pork dumplings." She said as she walked into the kitchen carrying the paper bag.

Walking over to the coffee table that had served as their desk many nights over the last 13 months, he began to set out the food. Hermione came back holding two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine. _Why is he being so quiet? _She thought, pausing in the doorway to watch him for a moment. _Does he not like Chinese food? Don't be absurd, Hermione, everyone likes Chinese food. _He looked up after setting it all out and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Wine? Are you hoping to get me drunk and convince me to tell you what music I listen to when we run in the mornings?" Severus asked, jokingly.

Hermione smiled at him and came over to the table. She set the glasses down then set about opening the wine and pouring them both a glass. "No." She said while wandlessly removing the cork from the bottle. "I merely thought it would be a nice touch to have a glass of wine since your conditional release contract didn't allow it and you are no longer bound by that particular document." _And because I need a little courage from the bottle to convince you not to leave immediately. _She thought, as she poured the two glasses. The nervous witch picked the two glasses up and handed one to him.

Severus took it and Hermione held her glass up to his, which he obligingly clinked his own against. "To finally being free!" She exclaimed. Severus smirked and nodded before taking a sip from his glass, it was not bad. It wasn't good but it had been so long since he'd been allowed alcohol it didn't matter. They sat down and dug into their meal with enthusiasm. It had been a while since they had eaten anything remotely like this, it felt like a holiday. Laughter, mostly from Hermione, filled the room as they talked and ate their way through the meal and drank half the bottle of wine.

Hermione took another sip from her glass, recovering from laughing at another story Severus had just told about McGonagall spying on students as a cat. "Oh I'm going to miss this!" She laughed and put a hand on his arm. They had edged closer to one another on the couch after the meal was over. His smile faded as he looked up at her, the laughter on her face fading away when she saw his expression.

"What? Did I say something?" Hermione asked, looking at him with growing concern.

"No." He said with a sigh. "I had just temporarily forgotten that I am no longer required to live here. I suppose I should leave tomorrow. I'm not sure where I'll stay but you've been more than generous. I would never dream of imposing further…"

Hermione waved a hand at him to silence him. "You aren't an imposition! I've loved having you around!" She exclaimed then promptly blushed when she realized exactly what she had said.

Severus cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh really? I seem to recall a rather irate woman initially, who forced me into an exercise regime against my will." He stated, draining the last of the wine in his glass before reaching for the bottle to refill it. He noticed it was nearly empty and nonverbally cast a refilling charm, not wanting the night to be cut short because of a lack of wine.

Hermione laughed and moved her hand from his arm to his thigh to give it a squeeze. The contact surprised him so much he barely suppressed the urge to jump. "Now don't start complaining about that again! It really toned us both up! We both know I was put in charge of your wellness. They would have taken you back if I hadn't been able to show I was keeping you healthy." She said, not realizing how much her casual touches were distracting him. "Back to the point, you are welcome to stay here as long as you need. I've never had a roommate as great as you! Although, that's not saying much considering who all of my past roommates have been."

Severus felt his heart leap in his chest at her words. _Maybe there's some hope after all, _he thought.

"Besides," Hermione continued, placing her arm on the back of the couch, nearly around his shoulders with her proximity. "I need someone who can dish out such stinging insults as the one you hurled at Rita Skeeter today."

Hermione giggled again but then turned suddenly quite serious before throwing herself into a rant. "She deserved it, the nerve of that woman! Implying that I would become romantically involved with you and risk having you sent back to Azkaban! Like that hasn't been all I could think about lately! And insinuating that I was pursuing you as a student! As if you would have given me the time of day back then! Who had the time for romantic entanglements anyway?! We were fighting a war! Not like that bloody woman would know anything about that!"

Severus listened to her rant with growing interest and curiosity. Once she was done, he looked down into his wine glass with a smirk and looked back up at to find she was drinking from her glass. "What did you mean by that?" He asked, looking at her closely.

Hermione froze as she reached for the wine bottle for a refill. "Mean by what?" She asked, he could practically hear her mentally going over everything she had just said.

"When you said 'like that hasn't been all I could think about lately.' What did you mean by that?" He stated, forcing himself to meet her eyes but not slip into her mind. It felt wrong to violate her trust in such a manner, particularly when she was giving him such a wide eyed stare of panic.

"Did I say that? Um, well, I meant I was concerned about you having to go back to prison. That's all." She said hurriedly, looking forward and away from him, reaching up to run her fingers through her hair.

Severus smirked, that's not at all what she meant. His heart rate accelerated as he leaned in closer to her and pitched his voice low near her ear. "I don't think so, Hermione. You had romantic thoughts about me and were worried you would act on them, forcing me back to Azkaban. Isn't that more like it?" He nearly purred in her ear, surprised by his own daring.

Hermione inhaled sharply and turned towards him about to say something when she saw just how close he had leaned in. She found herself nearly nose to nose with him, staring directly into his black eyes, she felt like she could just fall into them. She opened her mouth to deny it but looking so deeply into his eyes she couldn't bring herself to deny it. Instead she breathed out a whispered "Yes."

Severus quirked an eyebrow at her and said "Well I'm not bound by any contract any more. I'm free to have whatever romantic entanglements I desire."

The dark wizard paused, watching the reaction play out on the young witch's face before him. She seemed to be unsure of what that last bit had meant for her. He decided to put her out of her misery. "And I definitely desire getting romantically entangled with you." He said before leaning the few inches necessary to press a soft kiss on her lips.

Hermione's eyelids fluttered closed as she kissed him back. His hand found itself sinking into her hair and holding her head still as he turned his slightly to deepen the kiss. She moaned slightly as his tongue sought to caress hers. Hermione brought a hand up to slide her fingers into his hair as well. She moved closer to him on the couch and sliding her hand from his hair down his neck to reach for the buttons on his shirt. Without thinking, Severus brought his arm around her to draw her closer and managed to dump the remainder of his wine all down her back. She squealed and pulled away from him abruptly.

"Bloody hell, Severus! I hope the wine will come out of my robes!" She exclaimed as she jumped off the couch and began removing the wine-soaked item from her person. Severus quickly covered his eyes.

"Sorry! I lost my head for a moment. You might want to continue that in your room! I hope to date you, not just get you naked for one night!" He exclaimed as Hermione began to laugh.

"Do you now? Who's to say I wasn't simply trying to get into your trousers for just tonight?" She teased, temporarily abandoning her efforts to undress.

Severus shot her an annoyed look between his fingers. "No, you bloody well weren't! You aren't that type of person!" He exclaimed, feeling just a little foolish to be talking to her from between his fingers, he lowered his hand when he saw she had stopped undressing.

Hermione smiled at him before saying, "You're right of course, I had been hoping to date you for months now, once this was all over. I got the wine to give myself a little courage to admit it."

She looked down at herself and laughed. "I'll just go change into something more comfortable and less wine covered."

When she disappeared down the hallway, Severus sent the garbage from their dinner to the bin and cleaned up the wine that didn't end up on Hermione's robes. As he returned his wand to his pocket, she came back wearing soft cotton shorts and an old flannel shirt. She promptly climbed into his lap, straddling him and pressing her body against him. His eyebrows shot up in surprise as she then draped her arms around his neck and started kissing him again. He kissed her back and brought his hands up to her back. Hermione began to kiss a trail over his jaw to his neck. Rubbing his hands up her back, Severus suddenly paused. "Hermione?" He asked.

"Hmmm?" She grunted not pausing in her assault on his neck.

"Are you wearing a bra?" He asked, pulling his hands back from her.

She sat up and looked at him as she pressed her forehead to his. "Nope, I'm also not wearing any knickers. Would you like to see?" She asked, teasingly, reaching down to the hem of her shirt. He grabbed her hands and stopped her.

"I was serious, I want to date you before we are physically involved. I want to do this properly." He said, his voice tinged with regret. Hermione looked slightly exasperated with him.

"Why? We have lived together for over year, we know each other very well, surely?" She asked, looking into his eyes searchingly. "I thought we cleared this up, we'll date, see where the relationship goes."

Severus sighed, he needed to make sure he didn't cock this up, which meant showing a little vulnerability.

"Because when the relationship is over, I don't want to look back and have regrets, like starting the physical intimacy part before the rest." He said, looking away and down. She placed a hand under his chin and lifted his face until he looked back at her.

"If whatever we have between us ends, I don't want you to have any regrets because I certainly would never regret a relationship with you." Hermione said, she placed a kiss on his forehead before continuing, "I'll wait but don't make me wait too long and if you change your mind, you know which room is mine. I should go to bed, it's late, we're both a bit drunk, and I want to respect your wishes. I'll leave you to your date with Jill."

Severus scowled in confusion as she got off his lap, he grabbed her wrist gently before she could walk away completely. "Who's Jill? I'm not seeing anyone and …"

Hermione smirked at him and placed a single finger over his lips. She reached down and held his right hand up. The witch brought up his forefinger and thumb then traced over the shape, similar to the letter J. "This is Jill, I imagine you and her have a date in your room shortly."

The dark wizard looked up at her puzzled for a second then it clicked. He didn't try to suppress the burst of laughter that bubbled up through his body. Hermione laughed with him then turned and walked out of the room. He heard her bedroom door shut as he sat there, still laughing.

_Back to the present_

After draining her wine glass, Hermione checked the time and suddenly pushed back from the table. "Oh we need to get ready to leave! We still have to change into more appropriate clothes!" She exclaimed, standing up and beginning to clear off the table. Her husband looked confused as he stood to join her in cleaning up.

"Our current attire is insufficient? What type of pompous event did you get tickets for?" He asked, while putting empty containers in the bin. Hermione looked up at him and smirked.

"You'll see, it's not pompous. Don't worry, I already laid out your clothes." She said, using magic to clean the dishes and put them away. Severus raised an eyebrow at the last comment.

"What am I? A small child? I don't need you to pick out clothes for me." He grumbled, starting to walk down the hallway to their bedroom. "Are you afraid I'll embarrass you or something?"

Hermione laughed from behind him and followed him into the bedroom. "No, I picked them because I want the event to be a surprise until we get there. If I tell you what it is before we go so you can pick the clothes, I lose the full effect of the surprise."

Upon entering their bedroom, Hermione waved her hand in the general direction of the bathroom. "Your clothes are in there. Let me know if you need help getting them on."

He shot her a puzzled look and then fixed a sneer on his face. "I've been dressing myself for decades without your assistance. I don't see why I would suddenly need it now."

Having spoke his mind on the matter, the dark wizard stormed into the bathroom and closed the door. Hermione covered a giggle at his mildly grumpy attitude. _He really has no idea what the surprise is,_ she thought, _me choosing his outfit must have really ruffled his feathers. His disposition has improved over the years except when he's uncomfortable or unsure of himself. _The young witch turned back to getting herself ready in the outfit Ginny had helped her assemble.

Hermione had gotten everything on and still her husband had not emerged from the bathroom. She walked over and tapped on the door, "Severus, love, are you having trouble with anything in there?" She asked, hoping he was merely stalling before coming out. The door was suddenly pulled open and her husband stood before her in the outfit of her choosing. He glared at her then pointed at the symbol on his chest.

"What the hell is this? Are we going to some event for Potter?" Severus asked with a sneer.

Hermione, never realizing that the symbol actually was a lightning bolt in a red circle, rushed to explain. "No of course not! It's a symbol from, well something else. I promise it's nothing to do with Harry. Tonight is for us, no other people involved."

The potions master visibly relaxed, a bit, before he cocked an eyebrow while eyeing her outfit fully for the first time. "So, am I to assume we are attending your premiere performance as a...burlesque dancer?" He asked, jokingly. "I do hope I'll get pulled on stage or into a back room for a special show."

Hermione was wearing a tight, black crop top with a black leather skirt. She had transfigured a pair of knee high black leather boots to be thigh high and was wearing fishnet stockings with them. After getting her hair to cooperate into curls that morning, she had charmed her hair black when she changed her clothes. She reached out and playfully slapped his arm.

"No, I'd be absolutely horrid at that! And you know it, now tuck that shirt into your pants so you can get your boots on."

"If you can find the room for a bit of additional fabric in these bloody pants, I will gladly tuck it in." Her annoyed husband said, while tugging on the waistband of his very snug leather pants. "I needed the assistance of magic to even get the bloody things on. At least you chose all black clothes for me, although... you don't typically wear all black."

Hermione whipped out her wand and shrunk his shirt down so it didn't require tucking. She looked him up and down, gave a satisfied nod then gestured for him to follow her as she left the bathroom. He obliged while still deep in thought, he didn't speak until they got to the living room. "Wait, I know where we're going." The leather clad wizard said.

Spinning around abruptly, Hermione eyed him speculatively. "Oh really, where are we going?" She asked, before turning back around to pick up his boots and hand them to him.

"We are going to a rock concert of some kind. Did you finally figure out what's on the mixed tape in my Walkman?" He asked as he took his boots, looking at her suspiciously. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yes, we are going to a concert but I'm still rather in the dark as what you listen to on your Walkman. I do wish you would let me buy a CD player, that Walkman is terribly outdated." His wife said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Could you please put your shoes on, I don't want to be late and we will have to wait in line a while as it is."

Smirking, he slipped on his shoes and laced them up as he defended his favored means of listening to music. "There is nothing wrong with my tape player. It still works and it doesn't skip at the slightest jostling, like your CD player does."

Hermione huffed out a laugh, it was a tired argument they had been having since before they'd even started dating. After finishing with his shoes, her husband stood.

"Alright, shall we go then?" She asked, kindly, remembering that it was their anniversary and she had been a bit pushy with him. Severus, noticing her attempt to be less...bossy, nodded while smirking at her as she led the way out the back door to the area of the backyard designated for apparating. _She really has toned down how bossy she can be, sometimes,_ he thought, as she took his hand and they spun away.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This took a bit longer than I anticipated to get out, my beta and I discussed this chapter a great deal before we decided it was ready. Shout out to my beta, Jeannie, for everything she has done in helping me make this story better. This is the last chapter, followed by the epilogue which I am uploading immediately after I upload this.

Also, I know Manson and Zombie didn't tour together until 2013 but I have only ever seen them together and it just felt right to write it that way.

* * *

The heat of the day was retreating with the sun, but there was a lingering warmth rising from the asphalt. Groups of people dressed all in black passed the little side alley, the passers by didn't even glance in its direction. If they had been paying attention, they would have seen the Snapes suddenly snap into view in the shadows. The couple crept to the entrance of the alley to peek out, ensuring no one had seen them. Once the coast was clear, Hermione took her husband's hand and pulled him in the same direction the other black-clad people had gone. He looked down at his hand being pulled forcefully by the witch in front of him and smirked. She really was quite excited about whatever they were going to attend, Severus loved it when she was so enthusiastic.

Lost in his thoughts about the various scenarios that brought out his wife's enthusiasm, Severus wasn't paying close attention to where he placed his feet and tripped a couple of steps. Hermione turned back to check on him with a questioning look on her face, his cheeks reddened just slightly and he shook his head mumbling "I'm fine."

The insistent witch shrugged and kept going, tugging at his hand. Severus decided to pay attention to his surroundings. Everyone seemed to be going to the same place they were and when he looked up ahead he could see a mob of black. It was oddly comforting to see a large gathering of other people who shared his fashion sense. They reached the queue and joined it, several other groups of concert-goers lined up right behind them. Hermione turned towards him, leaning against the building next to the line. She raised an eyebrow at him and opened her mouth to ask him a question when he suddenly jumped and spun around. Behind him stood a group of women in their late 30s, obviously there for the concert as well, based on their attire. They all had on black shirts that showed various different images of some pale, black haired man with high cheekbones and an extremely large amount of makeup on. Severus scowled at the group as he cleared his throat and asked "And just which of you decided to place your hands on my person?"

The woman toward the front of the group had the nerve to wink at him before wiggling her fingers as a greeting, nauseatingly similar to that wretched Skeeter witch. She grinned and said, "That was me and if you and that delightful, leather covered arse of yours decide you want a woman who can show you a better time than the frigid woman I saw pulling you along, feel free to call me."

The bold woman reached into her mostly exposed cleavage to pull out a piece of paper and stretched her hand out in an attempt to give it to him. The dark wizard clenched his fists and sneered at the woman as he said, "Absolutely not, I have no interest in you or your sweaty piece of paper. I am happily married and if you touch me again I might just let my wife have at you. She is…"

"I've been to prison and I don't mind going back!" Hermione interrupted as she felt anger surge uncontrollably through her entire body, stepping around him to stand between her wizard and the offending woman. Severus looked at her, no hint of his thoughts crossed his face but internally he was highly amused. His wife had technically _visited_ Azkaban prison, so she had been to prison, just not in the sense that statement implied. The angry witch crossed her arms over her chest, scowling deeply. "Now run along before I'm tempted to do something that will send me back!"

The group of women looked rather startled by her claims but attempted to act unfazed. The ringleader rolled her eyes and huffed out a "Whatever." She curled her lip at them before continuing to the back of the queue. Hermione turned back to her husband who now wore a highly amused look on his face. The now self-conscious witch stepped back over to the wall and leaned her back against it. "Well, what are you looking at me like that for? That woman was bang out of order and you know it." She stated, feeling just a bit foolish for the way she had acted.

Placing one hand on the wall above her head, the dark haired wizard leaned in closer to her face, a small grin pulled on side of his mouth. "You've been to prison, eh? My, my what a dangerous wit-...woman you are." He teased, before leaning in to speak lowly in her ear, "Did that make you jealous? I don't think I've ever seen you jealous before. I never knew how much I would fancy seeing you in such a snit over me."

Hermione blushed slightly and fought back a grin as he pulled back slightly to meet her eyes with his. "Well, I'm not used to having other women put their hands all over you right in front of me," She said, slightly embarrassed "I haven't been that angry since I nearly attacked Rita Skeeter after your trial."

Smiling down at her, the potions master said, "Yes, I wish I'd had the time to truly look at you if you were half as alluring then as you were just now. I was a bit preoccupied with keeping you out of prison."

She playfully slapped his chest, smiling despite herself. Hermione was about to speak again when an announcement sounded at the front of the line. Severus took a step back as they both turned towards the source of the announcement. A burly man wearing a security uniform stepped forward and yelled "We're going to let all of you in shortly. Have your tickets ready for scanning when you get up to the front of the line. This is for the Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie show, if that isn't what you're here for, you're in the wrong line."

Quickly swiveling his head towards Hermione, Severus narrowed his eyes at his wife and brought a finger up under her chin to turn her eyes towards him. "You have been snooping around in my cassette tapes in the apothecary. Although how you did it is beyond me, did my assistant, Demetrius help you?" The dark wizard asked, cocking an eyebrow as he spat out the question.

Eyes wide and mouth partially open in surprise, Hermione vigorously shook her head as she replied, "Of course not! I would never violate your privacy like that. This was just a...erm...lucky guess?"

Snorting, Severus shook his head. "You're terrible at lying, Hermione."

"Really! I picked this because...well… because, I rather fancy this Marilyn Manson fellow. He looks a bit like you, don't you think?" She said rather hopefully. Her husband opened his mouth to protest then scowled in thought. _Come to think of it, that man on those shirts does look vaguely like me_, he thought. _Although I would never wear lipstick or any of that other nonsense. So that's what Marilyn Manson looks like, not at all what I pictured. _

The security guard broke into his thoughts by yelling for the line to move forward. Looking down at his wife, he saw she was looking at him a bit apprehensively. Severus sighed and quickly pecked a kiss on her cheek. "Alright, he does look a bit like me," he admitted, "it must just be a huge a coincidence that I also listen to his and Zombie's music. Apparently, unbeknownst to you."

She smiled at him as she pulled their tickets from the top of her boots. He raised an eyebrow at where she pulled the paper from. Hermione's smile only widened as she said, "Well, there was nowhere else to keep them without your seeing them."

As they walked with the rest of the line into the concert venue, Severus wondered, _if she didn't know I listened to their music then why on earth would she bring me here?! Looking similar to a man is no real reason to attend his concert._

* * *

_At the end of the opening act_

"Thank you! You've been an amazing crowd, we're 'Homicidal Oranges' good night!" The band's lead singer screeched before the stage was doused in darkness.

The crowd yelled an indistinguishable returning sentiment before falling quiet. Severus turned to Hermione and lifted an eyebrow as he said, "Well, what did you think of the opener?"

The witch shrugged, "They were alright, I suppose. Not really my cup of tea." She continued, "Let's step back from this crowd for a bit, I'm roasting!"

The couple had been standing in a large press of people crammed tightly next to the stage, they wove their way through the masses to the bar. The cluster around the bar wasn't much better, glancing around Hermione turned to her husband, "Wait here, I'll be back in a tick."

Before he could reply she vanished from sight, leaving him little choice on whether he wait there or not. He crossed his arms over his chest and set about watching the people around him. The overwhelming majority of people were either very pale or artificially made to look that deathly pale. The contrast between their stark coloring and jet black attire was jarring but an aesthetic he personally loved. One cheeky woman had the audacity to wink at him from next to the bar, the alarmed wizard quickly averted his gaze. _Why the hell are all these women acting like I'm some snack they are dying to consume?! I'll have to alert Hermione to the potential for a lust potion in the drinks, _he thought, before reflecting that this explanation did not fit with the mild assault he had suffered in line outside.

Suddenly, his witch reappeared in front of him clutching two dripping bottles of water. She smiled as she held one out for him, which he readily took and quickly downed half of its contents. "I Disillusioned myself and grabbed these from behind the bar, I also dropped the necessary money into the register. They're so swamped, they never noticed me." She said, drinking from her own bottle just as eagerly.

Silence reigned over the two of them as they focused more on rehydrating themselves than idle conversation, the place was stiflingly hot and with the way people were packed in next to each other, cooling charms were not an option. As they tossed their bottles in the recycling bin, the crowd let out a roar behind them. The pair turned simultaneously to see a large banner of Marilyn Manson illuminated on stage. The enthusiastic concert goers began chanting, "Marilyn! Manson! Marilyn! Manson!"

Severus suddenly grinned, he took Hermione's hand began dragging her back to the mad press of humanity around the stage. Unbeknownst to him, the sneaky witch had added a few drops of an odorless, tasteless euphoria potion to his water, just enough for the next hour or two. She wanted him to really enjoy himself and not be so...restrained. Although, it was really only a matter of seconds into his gleeful pulling on her hand that he stopped and turned suspiciously towards her. His dark eyes narrowed at her seemingly innocent expression. "You've drugged me, witch! I never grin in public!" He exclaimed, still not managing to wipe the look of joy from his features.

"I did, I thought you should let loose and truly enjoy the experience." Hermione stated firmly, "I knew short of this or getting you drunk, it wouldn't happen."

The grumpy but grinning wizard looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Fine, but in the future, ask first. I might have actually agreed to the idea."

Hermione smiled at him and agreed. They resumed their trip to get closer to the stage among all of the sweaty bodies. Feedback from several instruments sounded over the speakers, triggering another round of cheers from crowd. This time, her husband's voice joined in as well. She looked at him, amused at his complete immersion in the experience, something normally reserved for private moments. She knew he was passionate, she had been on the receiving end of it countless times but it was different to see him so intensely enjoying himself in public. Making a mental note to explore using that potion in another setting, she joined in the exuberant yelling.

The lights suddenly dropped to a single spotlight as a heartbeat began playing over the speakers, the spotlight pulsing in intensity with it. The crowd unleashed a cacophony of screams and shrieks. The heartbeat continued, building tension in the packed space. Suddenly, the heart beat transitioned to a haunting drumline.

DADADADADUM DADADADADUM DADADADADUM

The guitars joined in to bring the introduction of the song in full swing. The banner dropped and a multitude of lights swiveled to the lead singer on the stage. The nearly frenzied crowd began jumping and screaming even more. Several bits of fabric flew over head to land on the stage, Hermione glanced up as one such item flew perilously close to her head. Her eyes widened as she realized it was women's underwear, she kept a closer watch for more missiles of that nature as she had no desire to have anyone else knickers on her head.

Marilyn Manson began growling the song lyrics and Hermione lost sight of her husband jumping in the crowd. She shrugged, she would find him later, he knew where she was.

* * *

_Two hours later_

Night had truly settled over London by the time the Snapes were strolling down the sidewalk back to the tiny alley from which they had emerged earlier in the evening. They were walking arm in arm slowly, enjoying the cool night air together. Hermione was smiling contentedly while Severus was deep in thought. Finally, he asked his wife the question that had been on his mind since they had walked into the building. "Why did you decide this was the best way to celebrate our anniversary? You didn't know I listened their music and my sharing a resemblance with one of them is hardly reason enough." he said, "Don't misunderstand, I enjoyed it immensely, drugging and all, but why?"

Sighing, Hermione pulled him into the alley but before they could apparate, she turned and faced him. "Well, I just wanted you to see someone who looks like you, have….well, be seen as…" she paused, searching for the right words, "I wanted you to believe me when I said you are attractive. I thought the only way to make you see it was to show you another person, who looks like you, have women fawn over him."

He stared at her, completely at a loss for words. _So this was the big plot Luna had been referencing_, he thought. Hermione, thinking he was building up to an angry state, rushed on "I mean did you see the women who had written 'Fuck me, Manson' across their chests? Or the number of undergarments thrown on stage at him? Clearly there are plenty of people, other than me, who find men like the two of you attractive."

Fighting a bubble of laughter in his chest, Severus grabbed his wife's hand and they spun away home. Once their feet touched the ground in their backyard, he gave up the fight and unleashed his pent up laughter, one hand on his knee while the other still held Hermione's hand. She looked down at him, completely puzzled by his behavior. "What on earth is so funny about this?!" the young witch exclaimed, beginning to become mildly annoyed.

Catching his breath, the tall wizard straightened his back and looked her in the eyes, still highly amused. "You, witch. What was the end goal of making me feel pretty this evening?" he asked, his eyes alight with mirth, "Were you hoping to seduce me? Other than the first time, I have never turned down a proposition from you."

Stamping one booted foot at him, snatching her hand away from his, and crossing her arms over her chest, Hermione replied, "You arse, I wasn't trying to make you feel pretty or seduce you! I was hoping to boost your self esteem a bit!"

Cocking an eyebrow, Severus feigned confusion, he knew why but wanted her to say it, perhaps it would ease the delivery of his confession this evening. "And why would I need to improve my self esteem?"

"Because I want children with you! Because every time I try to talk to you about starting a family, you go on about how unattractive you are and how you don't want to pass that on to any child! Well I want children and I'm tired of trying to talk you into it!" Hermione exclaimed, nearly yelling at him. Tears began to well in her eyes and spill down her cheeks as she spoke, much to his alarm. She turned and stomped away to their backdoor.

Frozen in place briefly, Severus hastened to catch up with her, half afraid she may lock him out of the house if he didn't. "Wait!" he called, taking large strides to gain ground on her. She did not even hesitate in her steps at the sound of his voice. Pulling the door open angrily, the irate witch took one step towards the inside before Severus caught up with her and gently wrapped his hand around her upper arm.

"Wait for a bloody moment and let me talk to you." he said softly, "Please let me explain."

"Explain what?! How you'll never have a family with me?!" She snarled, not looking at him.

"No, let me explain...just...let's talk about what you want. Let's talk about a family. Please." The dark wizard pleaded, squeezing her arm slightly.

Sniffing rather unattractively, Hermione turned towards him, wiping her eyes with her other hand. "Fine, I don't know what you could possibly have to say at this point but I'll listen." she said, turning back to walk into their house, shaking loose of his grip as she did.

Sighing, Severus followed her inside, hoping this conversation went well. She magically removed her boots and banished them to her closet as she sat down on the couch in their living room. The nervous wizard followed her example, removing his boots to his closet and settling onto the couch next to her. He turned to face her, placing an arm along the back of the couch and bringing a knee up onto the cushion between them. Clearing his throat, he began, praying to Salazar, Merlin, and whoever else that may be listening that this would go well.

"When we first started dating and it became serious, I realized that I was not emotionally prepared to be the man you deserved. I knew you wanted children and marriage, with me, of all people. Since I could search this world over the rest of my life and never find another woman as... Well lets just say I knew I would never have such an opportunity again if I blew it with you." Severus stated, looking down at his shirt briefly to gather his thoughts again. He returned his gaze to Hermione's eyes to find his witch looking fractionally more calm and took it as a good sign.

"I consulted Minerva on the matter and she informed me that Luna Lovegood was in training to offer counseling services within the magical community. I was skeptical at first but I was determined to try so I contacted her about what would become my Saturday morning appointments with her. Luna quickly agreed to work with me and I have been immensely grateful to her for all she has done for me. A little over week ago, she finally informed me that I was ready." Severus proudly stated.

Hermione's eyes bored into his, an expression of mild confusion on her face. She waited for him to continue, but when he didn't, she cleared her throat and asked, "Ready for what?"

"To start a family, that was the overall goal of my getting therapy. It turned out I had a great deal of self loathing and once we worked on that, the other issues became easier to tackle." He said, feeling a bit concerned that perhaps she would hex him before this conversation was over.

Thunderstruck, Hermione sat there staring at him for a full minute before speaking. "So let me get this straight, you have been in therapy since before we were even married because you knew that one day I wanted to start a family and you wanted to ensure that I would be able to do that with you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The emotional witch could feel tears prickling in her eyes again, her brown orbs were glistening with them as Severus nodded before speaking, "Yes, I knew I had to try everything and anything at my disposal to keep you in my life and happy, lioness."

Tears once again spilled down her cheeks as he spoke, as she chuckled briefly. "I don't know what to say, I guess my plan seems a bit mad, in retrospect."

Smirking at her as he stretched out a hand to gently wipe the tears from her cheeks, Severus replied, "A bit, but I probably should have told you about my therapy. I just didn't want to get your hopes up if I should fail."

"Yes, you should have, you git!" Hermione exclaimed, unable to keep the grin off her face.

Adopting a facade of mock hurt, Severus placed one hand over his heart and the other over his eyes. "My lady wounds me! To bandy about such harsh names! My poor ears shall never be the same! My sincerest apologies, Madam, clearly I've done irreparable damage with my actions for you to call me such a name." the dark wizard proclaimed as he peeked around his hand at his witch.

The grin on her face widened, a spark of mischief lit up her eyes as she clambered into his lap, straddling him on the couch. Hermione reached up and removed his hands from their placement on his body to place them on her hips. Her hands ran up his chest appreciatively and around his neck. Bringing her face in mere inches his, she planted a chaste kiss on his lips and tossed her hair over her shoulder. His black eyes met her brown ones knowingly. "I'll forgive you, on a few conditions." she said, curling her fingers lovingly through the hair at the base of his head.

Running his hands down to cup her arse firmly and pull her body more closely against his, Severus cocked an eyebrow at her before speaking, "Oh I'll probably agree to whatever they may be, especially if our current physical arrangement is any indication as to the nature of your conditions." He gave her round flesh a squeeze as he spoke, causing her to huff out a laugh.

Hermione reached up a finger and placed it over his lips and continued, "Don't be too sure. One, I get to name our first child completely, I choose the first and middle name. Two, we split the responsibilities equally, I will not carry an unreasonable amount of the workload that comes with having a family. Three, I can add new conditions whenever I like. Four, we begin trying tonight."

Having spoke her mind on the matter, the young witch leaned in and captured his lips in a passionate kiss which he returned with enthusiasm. Severus pulled her flush up against his body and turned her over on to her back on couch. Bringing his body over hers and settling his hips between her thighs, he deepened the kiss, eliciting a slight moan from his wife as their tongues met. However, he was still mentally processing everything she had said, so a minute into their passionate kissing, the dark wizard wrinkled his forehead and pulled back.

His rather disheveled looking wife looked up at him confused. "What's the matter?" she asked, disgruntled over the abrupt halt in their physical activities.

"You can't just add whatever conditions you like whenever you like. It's completely unfair, witch." he said, nipping at her bottom lip. "You're being awfully hard on a wizard who put in five years worth of work to make you happy."

Smiling devilishly up at him, Hermione reached into her skirt's waistband and pulled out her wand. She nonverbally banished his clothes to their bedroom as she spoke, "Nonsense, every woman changes her mind about what she wants and how she wants it, all the time. I'm just giving you some warning that I will do that."

Pointing her wand in the general direction of their bathroom, she firmly stated "Accio fertility potion."

Seconds later, a small vial flew into the room and smacked into her outreached palm. Pulling the stopper out and downing the contents, she turned back to her stunned wizard. "Now, I do hope that clears things up."

Severus opened and closed his mouth twice before clearing his throat to speak, "Fair enough, I was always warned by my father that women change their moods more often than most men change their pants. So, I trust you got that potion from Demetrius without my knowing?"

"Oh no, I brewed it myself, I didn't see the need to involve him in this. Plus, I was worried he would tip you off." she said, "Now enough talk, I was promised an easy lay but you haven't even gotten me out of my knickers yet."

Smirking at her, he resumed kissing her, sliding his tongue gently along hers as he slide a hand up her leg to the boundary of her skirt. His hand continued on it's journey to remove her undergarments only to encounter more skin. He kissed his way to her ear and growled "That was a bit of trick, Madam Snape, you aren't wearing any knickers."

Hermione grinned at his discovery and a shiver travelled down her spine at his growl. She opened her mouth to reply but instead drew a sharp intake of breath as his fingers glided over to delve into her wet heat. She moaned and clutched his shoulders as he nipped and kissed his way down her neck, his fingers slowly caressed her clitoris in circles. Her eyes slid closed as her pleasure began to build, suddenly she was rid of her shirt and bra via her husband's wandless magic. His hot mouth quickly found her nipple, licking and biting it to an erect point before latching on and sucking it firmly. Hermione cried out as the pleasure from the added stimulation jolted through her body. One of her hands came up to tunnel through his hair before settling on the back of his head while the other ran down his back and lightly scratched his skin as she dragged it up again.

Severus pulled his head back and removed his hand from her body, he brought his fingers up his mouth and briefly sucked them between his lips. Hermione watched this through heavy lidded eyes, enjoying the sight of her wizard tasting her on his fingertips. He dropped his gaze to hers and grinned wickedly at her around his fingers. The still grinning wizard began kissing his way from her neck to her navel, Hermione briefly thought about the conversation that led to their current position. Her husband had gone through years of therapy and now they were going to start a family. She smiled at the thought but that smile was quickly replaced with a pleasantly surprised look after her wizard deftly pushed up her skirt and buried his face between her thighs.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Well this is the very end of this story, I hope you have all enjoyed it! I certainly have had a great time writing it!

* * *

_5 years later_

A soft meow and pawing at his head woke Severus up. He groggily rolled over and looked at the clock on his bedside table. It was 5:30 in the morning, why the hell was Anakin pestering him?! He quietly shushed the cat who promptly leapt down from the bed and started down the hallway. Severus closed his eyes to go back to sleep. The pesky little furball came back to the doorway and meowed again. The sleepy wizard cracked one eyelid open to look at their obnoxious cat. He sighed and carefully got out of bed, he glanced over at his wife to ensure he hadn't bothered her. Saturday was one of the few days she could actually sleep in anymore. Yawning and stretching, he followed the cat out of their bedroom and to the stairs.

Climbing the stairs quietly, Severus had a feeling that whatever Anakin had woken him to come see was related to the children. He could hear quiet giggling when he was near the top of the stairs. Stealthily, he crept to their bedroom and peered through the slightly ajar door. It was dark but for the glow from the walls. When they were decorating the nursery, Severus had suggested an underwater theme. He had loved the picture window view beneath the surface of the Black Lake in the Slytherin common room and thought it would be beautiful to replicate here. Luna had outdone herself by painting a stunning coral reef all around the room. It was crammed with vibrant colors and swaying plants, daytime saw a vast variety of creatures both magical and non magical visiting the reef. At night, the colors were much more subdued and the only creatures swimming about then were slightly glowing jellyfish that acted as nightlights. Upon catching sight of the room's occupants, he abruptly had to bring his hand to his mouth to prevent any audible reaction from escaping immediately.

His daughters, ages two and four were in naught but a nappy and underwear, respectively. The remainder of their little bodies was covered in magic marker. Scattered all about the floor were the offending coloring implements along with the multitude of coloring books their Muggle grandparents had given them. The four year old, Ellen, was patiently drawing and coloring in what may have been a flower on her younger sister's belly. The two year old, Jean, was giggling and kicking her legs out. "Tickles, Sissy! It tickles!" The youngest shrieked suddenly.

Ellen promptly shushed her. "Shhhhh Jean. You are gonna wake up Mummy! She's not a happy Mummy in the morning."

Severus silently agreed with her, _I can only imagine Hermione's reaction if she woke up to this._ He quietly pushed the door open, flicked on the light, and cleared his throat. Both girls froze and turned their heads to the doorway as one, their brown eyes wide and black, bushy hair sticking out wildly from sleep. The oldest decided to act as though nothing was amiss. Her face broke into a huge grin as she loudly proclaimed "Good morning Daddy!" Both hands still holding markers and sticking up in the air.

Jean seemed to feel this was the best course of action as well. She grinned and jumped up, running over to hug his pajama-clad legs. "G'morning Daddy!"

Attempting to remain serious when faced with such adorable behavior, he reached down and picked up Jean. "Good morning, girls. Which of you knows how two little witches came to be covered in magic marker?"

Ellen had the audacity to look shocked. "We don't know! We just woke up like this, didn't we Jean?"

Jean managed to arrange her face into a serious expression, somewhat diminished by the pink squiggles all across her forehead and cheeks. "Yeah, we woke up like this. It wasn't Sissy's idea at all."

Ellen seriously nodded. Internally, Severus was highly amused, Ellen was undoubtedly heading for Slytherin when she attended Hogwarts but little Jean was far too much like her mother. Externally, he had to be serious, _Thank Merlin we placed anti-staining charms on everything in this room! _He thought, before deciding to end their foolish story of waking up covered in marker.

"Now, enough silliness. Daddy knows you colored on each other. I want this mess cleaned up immediately. Then we are going downstairs to the big bathroom and you are both getting baths." The stern wizard said, setting Jean down to a chorus of "Awwwww, not a bath!"

The two of them dejectedly picked up of all of the markers and coloring books before placing them haphazardly on their desk. Once the room was reasonably straightened up, he lifted Jean up again and signaled for Ellen to quietly follow him. He leant down and whispered to them both at the top of the steps, "If you two can be quiet until I get us in the big bathroom and place the silencing charms without waking Mummy, I'll make waffles for breakfast. How does that sound?"

The two little witches nodded vigorously and Ellen held a single finger up her lips with a grave look on her little face. Clearly getting waffles was serious business. The three of them silently crept through the house, trailed by the shadow that was Anakin. Severus successfully shut the door to the bathroom, in Anakin's face unknowingly, and placed the silencing charms to prevent waking his wife. Anakin twitched his tail in annoyance and sat outside the room waiting.

_15 minutes later_

BANG!

Hermione jolted upright in the bed, hair a tangled nest on top of and all around her head. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she gazed around the room to find the source of her rude awakening.

Mmmmmrroooowwww

Brow furrowed, Hermione looked for the agitated cat she assumed had been the source of all the noise. Noting her husband was no longer lying next to her, the grumpy witch slung her legs over the side of the bed and got up. At the foot of the bed stood Anakin, he was standing on a book that was trying to escape from under him. Hermione scowled at him and picked up her wand, canceling the summoning spell on the book, she pulled the book from under the agitated cat. In the dimly lit room, she could just barely make out the title "A Witching Mother's Guide to Raising Magical Children" by Taica Ama. Molly Weasley had gifted it to her years ago at the baby shower for Ellen. She looked around the dark bedroom and noticed a light coming from under the bathroom door.

Curiosity driving the sleep from her mind, the inquisitive witch approached the door with her wand out. She sensed the wards and silencing spells on the door, she made quick work of taking them down and pushed the door open. The scene before her was priceless and she quickly brought a hand up to stifle her mirth.

There were puddles of water strewn about the room and their two wet, soapy, and very much naked little girls were _accidentally _splashing her husband in the tub. They were covered in magic marker drawings that Severus was trying to wash off but the little witches were more interested in playing, mean while the marker was not budging from their skin. It was apparent to her that Severus' patience was rapidly running out.

"Ellen! You will stand still and cease splashing your sister at once!"

Jean giggled and mimicked her father's reprimand to her older sibling, one chubby hand pointing an index finger in an admonishing manner. "Ellen! Be still! Cheese plash you sister!"

This was the absolute limit for Hermione, laughter burst forth uncontrollably. The splashing stopped and three messy heads full of black hair swiveled to look at her. A chorus of "Mummy!" rang out from little mouths. A completely soaked Severus sighed with relief and straightened up from the edge of the tub as Hermione came over still laughing.

"We tried not to wake you. Thank Merlin you're up though, how are you supposed to get this marker off of them? I've tried every cleansing spell and potion safe for children. _Magic_ markers, indeed." He said, glancing down at the book in her hands. "Does that have anything about how to get this mess off of them?"

Hermione smirked at him. "Of course not, magic markers are a Muggle creation. You use rubbing alcohol, it's a solvent." She replied, before turning to the medicine cabinet and retrieving it.

Meanwhile, the splashing resumed behind her as the girls picked up where they left off. Jean stopped suddenly and turned a very serious face towards her father before saying "Daddy, we still get waffles?"

Severus cocked an eyebrow at the two hopeful faces tipped up at him. Had his hair not been wet and messy and his pajamas not clinging to him with water, his expression may have been intimidating. But even then his children wouldn't have been affected, they had him wrapped around their little fingers and they knew it.

"If you can both behave yourselves the rest of the time it takes to get cleaned up and if you help clean up the bathroom, you may have waffles." He said seriously, reaching for the rubbing alcohol from his wife.

Hermione planted a kiss on his cheek as Ellen turned towards her sister, a large cup filled with water in her unsteady hands. "Here Jean, I'll help you get clean!" Ellen exclaimed before promptly dumping the contents of the cup over her head.

Jean promptly wailed at her well meaning sister. "SISSY! I DON'T LIKE IT!" Jean reached up to wipe water from her eyes.

Hermione decided to intervene for the sake of speeding things up. "Cut all of this out right now! You will both rinse all of this soap off and stand still while Daddy gets this marker off. If I hear one more yell or if you keep splashing about, there will be no waffles. And if I catch either of your drawing on each with markers again, I'll take them away to your grandmother's house, understood?" Hermione firmly asked, looking between the two of them quite sternly.

"Yes Mummy!" Rang throughout the bathroom in reply.

Turning towards her husband, Hermione winked at him and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I'll go make breakfast, they should behave now."

The grateful wizard pecked a kiss on her cheek and smiled at her as she walked out of the room. _What would I do without her? I'd surely be lost. _His tender thoughts about his wife were interrupted by extremely loud whispering behind him between his daughters. "I told you Jean, if we wake up Mummy, she won't be a very happy Mummy."


End file.
